It is natural that he should say so?

Question

Just out of curiosity.It is natural that he should say so.The grammar says we should put 'should' before 'say.' But I've seen so many anomalies and for me, this doesn't have to be obeyed any longer.If you hear that 'it is natural that he says so.', you'd understand it but it sounds a little bit awkward or does it sound so natural?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]It is natural that he should say so. The grammar says we should put 'should' before 'say.' But I've seen ... that he says so.', you'd understand it but it sounds a little bit awkward or does it sound so natural?[/nq]
To my (AmE) ear, it sounds natural, but means something else. "'It's natural that he says so" isn't equivalent to "'It's natural that he should say so" which, to be reworded in the direction you want, becomes "'It's natural that he say so." Nevertheless, the latter version sounds a little strange, while "It's necessary that he say so" sounds fine, and "It's necessary that he says so" would be a grammatical blunder. Naturally, our British friends may disagree.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Just out of curiosity. It is natural that he should say so. The grammar says we should put 'should' before ... that he says so.', you'd understand it but it sounds a little bit awkward or does it sound so natural?[/nq]
"It's natural that he should say so" is an alternate form of the subjunctive "It's natural that he say so." "It's natural that he says so" isn't a subjunctive form, but is sometimes used as one, in the same way that people say "if I was" instead of "if I were".
Adrian

It is natural that he should say so?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions