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Masanori Takaoka Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

Be or is

No testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact which it tries to establish.


In this sentence, why is "be" used instead of "is"?

  

Top answer

Masanori Takaoka In this sentence, why is "be" used instead of "is"? It is an older or very formal use of the subjunctive. )

— Mister Micawber

  • Masanori Takaoka In this sentence, why is "be" used instead of "is"?
  • It is an older or very formal use of the subjunctive.
  • )
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1 Answers
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Masanori TakaokaIn this sentence, why is "be" used instead of "is"?

It is an older or very formal use of the subjunctive. ('Unless' marks a kind of conditional.)

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