The subjunctive preterit: How and When to Use in English
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The subjunctive preterit
The past subjunctive is used in the following type of constructions:
If I were you, I would talk to the manager.
It allows us to express a supposition, a wish, a desire (etc.), and is conjugated like the past simple, except for the verb to be:
Common constructions which use the past subjunctive:
• after if:
| I | were | (and not was) | |
| You | were | ||
| He | were | (and not was) | |
| We | were | ||
| You | were | ||
| They | were |
Common constructions which use the past subjunctive:
• after if:
If I were a rich man!
If I had more time, I would show you my office. (= If I'd more time, I'd show you my office.)
(would expresses the conditional)
(would expresses the conditional)
If she were my girlfriend, I would buy her roses every day.
• after the verb to wish, expressing a wish or regret:
I wish you were here. I regret the fact that you are not here.
Do you surf? - (No but) I wish I could. Do you surf? - (No but) I would love to surf.
• after would rather, expressing a preference:
I'd rather you came another time. I would prefer you to come another time.
Horatio would rather people didn't know about his test monkeys. Horatio would prefer people not to know about his test monkeys.
• after it's time:
It's about time Willy retired. It's time for Willy to retire.
It's high time that you and I had a chat about it.
Exercise 1
Simon: If I you, I buy all the bio-tech stocks that I could.
Vanessa: Why? you know something that I don't know?
Simon: Not really. I just like pretending to be smart.
Vanessa: Why? you know something that I don't know?
Simon: Not really. I just like pretending to be smart.
Simon: If I were 1 you, I would 2 buy all the bio-tech stocks that I could.
Vanessa: Why? Do 3 you know something that I don't know?
Simon: Not really. I just like pretending to be smart.
Vanessa: Why? Do 3 you know something that I don't know?
Simon: Not really. I just like pretending to be smart.
1 were: This is a construction in which a hypothetical situation is imagined in the first clause by using the subjunctive past tense ('were'), then completed with the conditional ('would') to suggest a course of action in the second clause. This type of construction is often signaled by 'if' at the beginning of the sentence. In the first clause, the subjunctive form of the verb 'to be' is irregular and becomes 'were', though 'was' is accepted in spoken English.
1 am: In this type of conditional construction, the simple present tense cannot be used. The subjunctive form of the verb is required.
1 be: In this type of conditional construction, the infinitive form of the verb cannot be used. The subjunctive form of the verb is required.
1 would be: In this type of conditional construction, 'would' is used to complete the second clause, however using it in the first clause is grammatically incorrect.
2 would: 'Would' is used to complete this conditional construction. 'I would buy all the tech stocks I could' suggests that the speaker, if he were in the same situation as his friend, would purchase many tech stocks. Example: I would have the reaction if the dog attacked me.
2 should: 'Should' can be used to give advice or suggest an action, however it cannot be used to complete the conditional construction begun by 'If I were you'.
2 am: 'Am' does not make sense here.
2 have to : 'Have to' is used to express a statement of necessity, and not a conditional statement.
3 Do: When asking a simple question we often use the auxiliary 'do' followed by the subject and verb (you know). Example: Do we have any whisky in the kitchen?
3 Are: 'Are you know' is grammatically incorrect.
3 How: 'How you know...' is grammatically incorrect. We could say, however: 'How do you know something that I don't know?'.
3 Why: 'Why you know...?' is grammatically incorrect. To use "Why" to ask a question, we could ask "Why do you know so much about penguins?"
Exercise 2
Polly: Philip would be a much better salesman, if he his teeth more often.
Susie: Yes, it's time he more attention to his appearance and less time chasing women.
Susie: Yes, it's time he more attention to his appearance and less time chasing women.
Polly: Philip would be a much better salesman, if he brushed 1 his teeth more often.
Susie: Yes, it's time he paid 2 more attention to his appearance and spent 3 less time chasing women.
Susie: Yes, it's time he paid 2 more attention to his appearance and spent 3 less time chasing women.
1 brushed: In a hypothetical construction such as this one, which uses an 'if' clause, we must use the subjunctive past tense (preterit) of the verb 'to brush' to complete the construction correctly. The subjunctive preterit is identical to the simple past (preterit) for all verbs except 'to be'.
1 brushes: This is grammatically incorrect. We cannot use a simple present tense form of the verb in a sentence which has a subjunctive clause.
1 brush: This is grammatically incorrect. We cannot use a simple present tense form of the verb in a sentence which has a subjunctive clause.
2 paid: In a subjunctive construction introduced by the phrase 'it's time', we use a verb in the subjunctive past tense to complete the construction. The subjunctive tense is identical to the simple past for all verbs except 'to be'. 'Paid' is the subjunctive preterit form of the verb 'to pay'.
2 pay: We cannot use the present tense verb form 'pay' to follow the expression 'it's time'. 'It's time...' introduces a subjunctive statement, and so the verb must be conjugated in the subjunctive preterit form.
2 had paid: We cannot use the past perfect form 'had paid' to follow the expression 'it's time'.
2 would pay: We cannot use the conditional form 'would pay' to follow the expression 'it's time'.
3 spent: In a construction introduced by the phrase 'it's time', we use a verb in the subjunctive past tense to complete the construction. The subjunctive tense is identical to the simple past for all verbs except 'to be'. 'Spent' is the subjunctive preterit form of the verb 'to spend'. Note that even though this verb comes after 'paid', it still takes the subjunctive past tense form as it is introduced by the expression 'it's time'.
3 spend: We cannot use the present tense verb form 'spend' to follow the expression 'it's time'. 'It's time...' introduces a subjunctive statement, and so the verb must be conjugated in the subjunctive preterit form.
3 spended: The verb 'to spend' is irregular and can't be conjugated as 'spended' in any tense. To spend: spend/spent/spent.
3 would spend
3 had spent: We cannot use the past perfect form 'had paid' to follow the expression 'it's time'.
Exercise 3
Luna: Hi, Horatio. I ask you a question?
Horatio: No.
Luna: Great! I was wondering if you able to fix my chair yet?
Horatio: No.
Luna: That's ok. you want to drink some tea with me?
Horatio: No.
Horatio: No.
Luna: Great! I was wondering if you able to fix my chair yet?
Horatio: No.
Luna: That's ok. you want to drink some tea with me?
Horatio: No.
Luna: Hi, Horatio. Can 1 I ask you a question?
Horatio: No.
Luna: Great! I was wondering if you were 2 able to fix my chair yet?
Horatio: No.
Luna: That's ok. Do 3 you want to drink some tea with me?
Horatio: No.
Horatio: No.
Luna: Great! I was wondering if you were 2 able to fix my chair yet?
Horatio: No.
Luna: That's ok. Do 3 you want to drink some tea with me?
Horatio: No.
1 Can: This is the best choice here. 'Can I ask you a question?' is a proper interrogative form which asks for permission to pose a question. Note: 'May I ask a question' expresses the same meaning more politely and more accurately, but 'Can I ask you a question?' is acceptable and very common.
1 Am I able to: This is incorrect. Luna is not questioning her capacity to ask a question, but she is simply asking for permission to pose it.
1 Should: This is incorrect. In the interrogative form, 'should' is used to ask for advice or someone's opinion. If Luna were to ask 'should I ask you a question?' she would be asking herself if it is good idea to ask this question, which is very unlikely.
2 were: We use the past tense form 'were able to' because of the presence of 'yet' at the end of the phrase. 'Yet' tells us that Luna is asking about whether Horatio made an attempt to fix her chair in the past.
2 are: We cannot use the present tense form of the verb 'to be able' here because of the presence of 'yet' at the end of the sentence, which indicates that this event took place in the past.
2 was: We cannot use 'was able to' here because Luna is addressing Horatio directly, in the second person form. In the conditional tense, we must use 'were able' in this construction.
2 is: We cannot use the present tense form of the verb 'to be able' here because of the presence of 'yet' at the end of the sentence, which indicates that this event took place in the past. Also, 'is able' is the third person form of the verb, and Luna addressing Horatio in the second person (you).
3 Do: This is the best choice here. When asking a question about desire (with the verb 'to want') we use the auxiliary 'do' to pose the question correctly. Note that the verb which follows 'want' is put in the infinitive form (Do you want TO DRINK some tea with me?).
3 Are: We cannot use 'are' to ask this question. 'Are' is a form of the verb 'to be', which has no place in this construction, because this question is about Horatio's desire to drink tea with Luna.
3 Can: The construction 'can you want...' is grammatically incorrect. In the interrogative form, 'can' is used to ask for permission or capacity, never desire.
3 Could: Although this choice is grammatically correct, it is very unlikely that Luna would ask 'Could you want to drink some tea'. This construction would express that Luna was asking IF there was a possibility that Horatio would want to drink some tea with her. This is complicated conditional construction which is illogical and needlessly existential.
Exercise 4
Philip: Hey Icarus, my man. Are you coming to get a beer after work?
Icarus: Mother said she doesn't want me out too late.
Philip: That's too bad. If I you, I the umbilical cord.
Icarus: Uhh, but I don't have any, uhh, scissors.
Philip: Well, it's about time you a pair.
Icarus: Mother said she doesn't want me out too late.
Philip: That's too bad. If I you, I the umbilical cord.
Icarus: Uhh, but I don't have any, uhh, scissors.
Philip: Well, it's about time you a pair.
Philip: Hey Icarus, my man. Are you coming to get a beer after work?
Icarus: Mother said she doesn't want me to stay 1 out too late.
Philip: That's too bad. If I were 2 you, I would cut 3 the umbilical cord.
Icarus: Uhh, but I don't have any, uhh, scissors.
Philip: Well, it's about time you bought 4 a pair.
Icarus: Mother said she doesn't want me to stay 1 out too late.
Philip: That's too bad. If I were 2 you, I would cut 3 the umbilical cord.
Icarus: Uhh, but I don't have any, uhh, scissors.
Philip: Well, it's about time you bought 4 a pair.
1 to stay: In this sentence, the verb 'to want' must be followed by a verb in the full infinitive form: She doesn't want me TO STAY... Note that occasionally the verb to want can be followed by a gerund: Mother doesn't want me STAYING out too late.
1 stay: We cannot use 'stay' without 'to' here.
1 stayed: The preterit tense 'stayed' is grammatically incorrect. Icarus is speaking about the present, not the past.
1 have stayed: 'Have stayed' is incorrect. We cannot use the present perfect tense in this construction.
2 were: The subjunctive preterit 'were' always follows 'if' in hypothetical constructions such as this. Although it is acceptable in spoken English to use the simple past 'was' in subjunctive constructions, the subjunctive past 'were' is preferred. Note that the subjunctive past is conjugated in the same way as simple past (or preterit), with the exception of the verb 'to be', which is irregular.
2 would be: We cannot use the conditional 'would' in the first clause when the sentence begins with 'if'.
2 am: We cannot use the present simple tense (am) when the sentence begins with 'if'.
2 was: We cannot use the past simple tense (was) when the sentence begins with 'if'.
3 would cut: Because the first clause (If I were you...) begins with 'if', we must use the conditional 'would' in the second clause. 'Would' is always followed by the infinitive form of the verb without 'to' (cut).
3 should cut: 'Should' does not make sense here. 'Should' is used to make suggestions, but it is not used in 'if' statements. Philip could simply say, however: 'You should cut the umbilical cord'.
3 cutted: 'Cutted' is not an English word. The verb 'to cut' is irregular. I cut / I cut / I have cut.
3 cut: We cannot use the present tense 'cut' here, because we need to use the conditional form 'I would cut'.
4 bought: We always use the subjunctive preterit tense (bought) to follow the expression 'it's about time'. The subjunctive preterit is identical to the preterit form for most verbs. In this sentence Philip's expression 'it's about time' expresses that 'now is the time for Icarus to cut the umbilical cord' or that Icarus should 'cut the umbilical cord as soon as possible'.
4 buy: We cannot use the present tense verb 'buy' to follow the expression 'it's about time', which is a conditional construction and requires the subjunctive preterit form of the verb to follow it.
4 would buy: We cannot use the conditional 'would buy' to follow the expression 'it's about time', which is a conditional construction and requires the subjunctive preterit form of the verb to follow it.
4 should buy: We cannot use 'should' to follow the expression 'it's about time', which is a conditional construction and requires the subjunctive preterit form of the verb to follow it.
Exercise 5
Sophie: Bob, darling, I wish we take a nice long vacation, just you, me and Toby.
Bob: But you know we can't afford it, Soph.
Sophie: If only we so many years touring the world in a hot-air balloon!
Bob: Come on, now, Soph. Those were the best years of our life! Remember Persia?
Sophie: Oh, my love. What are we going to do?
Bob: Don't worry, my peach. It's time that you and I this prison of ennui!
Sophie: Oh, my hero! I know you through for me.
Bob: But you know we can't afford it, Soph.
Sophie: If only we so many years touring the world in a hot-air balloon!
Bob: Come on, now, Soph. Those were the best years of our life! Remember Persia?
Sophie: Oh, my love. What are we going to do?
Bob: Don't worry, my peach. It's time that you and I this prison of ennui!
Sophie: Oh, my hero! I know you through for me.
Sophie: Bob, darling, I wish we could 1 take a nice long vacation, just you, me and Toby.
Bob: But you know we can't afford it, Soph.
Sophie: If only we hadn't spent 2 so many years touring the world in a hot-air balloon!
Bob: Come on, now, Soph. Those were the best years of our life! Remember Persia?
Sophie: Oh, my love. What are we going to do?
Bob: Don't worry, my peach. It's time that you and I escaped 3 this prison of ennui!
Sophie: Oh, my hero! I know you will come 4 through for me.
Bob: But you know we can't afford it, Soph.
Sophie: If only we hadn't spent 2 so many years touring the world in a hot-air balloon!
Bob: Come on, now, Soph. Those were the best years of our life! Remember Persia?
Sophie: Oh, my love. What are we going to do?
Bob: Don't worry, my peach. It's time that you and I escaped 3 this prison of ennui!
Sophie: Oh, my hero! I know you will come 4 through for me.
1 could: Because the sentence begins with 'I wish', we must use the modal 'could' here. 'We could take a vacation' forms the subjunctive preterit tense. The subjunctive preterit is identical to the simple preterit form of most verbs.
1 would be able: We cannot use 'would be able' in this construction following the phrase 'I wish'. To express the idea of capacity in the conditional sense we would have to say 'I wish we were able', which is more simply expressed by writing or saying 'could'.
1 can: We never use the present tense verb 'can' after the verb 'to wish', which introduces a conditional statement.
1 to be able: We do not use the infinitive verb 'to be able' after the verb 'to wish'. We must conjugate the verb in the correct fashion.
2 hadn't spent: Because Sophie is speaking about the past using 'if only' (which expresses regret), we must use the past perfect modal 'hadn't spent', which is a form of the subjunctive. This is specific to 'if only' constructions when used to express regret about the past. The full form of the modal, 'had not spent', is also acceptable here.
2 haven't spent: 'Haven't spent' is the present perfect, which does not make sense in this context, as Sophie is speaking specifically about the past.
2 wouldn't spent: 'Wouldn't spent' is not a valid verb construction. 'Would' is always used with the infinitive form of the verb, without 'to' (wouldn't spend).
2 didn't spend: Sophie uses the construction 'if only' to express a regret about the past here. She should use the past perfect tense 'hadn't spent'. Sophie cannot use the preterit 'didn't spend' in this context.
3 escaped: We always use the subjunctive preterit form of the verb (escaped) when it follows the expression 'it's time'. The subjunctive preterit is identical to the preterit for most verbs.
3 escape: We cannot use the present tense 'escape' to follow the expression 'it's time'. 'It's time...' introduces a subjunctive statement, and so the verb must be conjugated in the subjunctive preterit form.
3 would escape: We cannot use the conditional form 'would escape' to follow the expression 'it's time'.
3 had escaped: We cannot use the past perfect form 'had escaped' to follow the expression 'it's time'.
4 will come: This is the best choice here. Because Sophie is speaking about a future action, we use the future tense 'will come'. Note that 'to come through for someone' means 'to do what was promised for someone'.
4 would come: Because Sophie says 'I know' and not 'I knew', we cannot use the conditional construction 'would come' here.
4 came: Although 'came' is grammatically correct here, it does not make sense, because Sophie is talking about something Bob 'is going to do', not something he 'has done already'.
4 had come: The past perfect 'had come' does not make sense in this context. Usually, the past perfect tense is used to speak about an action happening in the past that has preceded another past action.
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