Subjunctive mood

Question

Looking back on the struggles in your career as well as your successes, what advice would you give to a young person?

Technically speaking, I think, the sentence is a subjunctive mood. I am not sure... Isn't it?

If so, the sentence can be re-written as follows:

If you looked back on the struggles in your career as well as your successes, what advice would you give to a young person?

I would appreciate it if you could clarify it.

Thanks

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

deborahjeongTechnically speaking, I think, the sentence is a subjunctive mood. I am not sure... Isn't it?

No. Sorry. There's nothing subjunctive there. The first clause is a participle clause (-ing), which is not a subjunctive type of clause; the second and final clause has would, and a would-clause is never subjunctive either.

deborahjeongIf so, the sentence can be re-written as follows:If you looked back on the struggles in your career as well as your successes, what advice would you give to a young person?

You say "if so", but you don't have to because you can rewrite it as you have shown even though the original has no subjunctive. It's "if so" or "if not so".

The word "looked" can be labeled 'subjunctive', but that's not really necessary as the verb form is identical to the simple past tense.

CJ

Subjunctive mood

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