Subjunctive

Question

Hi, could you tell me whether you can use the subjunctive after "require", e.g. "She requires that he attend the conference"?  Thank you

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

Yes, you can. As a matter of fact, you should:
http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000031.htm

Magda · Answer

Markus, thank you for the link. It is very helpful.

Magda

Marius Hancu · Answer

However, in BrE you might have to use:
"She requires that he should attend the conference."
while the subjunctive is preferred in AmE.

You may also have a look at:

http://www.ceafinney.com/subjunctive/guide.html

Also, click on the Subjunctives button under your original posting and you will find several related threads, e.g.

subjunctive, this sentence

CalifJim · Answer

whether you can use the subjunctive after "require"

I think you can just barely get away with it. The more frequent construction is
She requires him to attend the conference.
And even that sounds a bit stilted.
requirement, the noun, sounds more natural with the subjunctive, but this sentence doesn't lend itself to a rephrasing with requirement.
She is imposing upon him the requirement that he attend the conference. (??? - awkward)
I might change the verb to insist in the original:
She insists that he attend the conference.
demand is too strong to be an equivalent.
She demands that he attend the conference. (??? - not a good equivalent)
More casually,
She told him that he [has to / must] attend the conference.

And yet, there is another meaning of require which comes out especially in the present tense, so maybe this is what you want:

She needs him to attend the conference.

CJ

Subjunctive

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