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Ticce Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD (If I were or be )

Hello dear friends,

Here is a question. Is it a correct form - If I be doing this

I have been told several times that this is a poor English. However, I think that this is a subjunctive mood. I have found a confirmation to this in one book

Indicative Subjunctive
I am calling If I be calling
I was calling If I were calling

1) If this is a subjunctive mood then why do native speakers consider it wrong?

2) What is the difference between If I be calling and If I were calling? I am asking because If I were calling refers to FUTURE as well as If I be calling does.

Thanks
  

Top answer

Ticce If I be calling This is incorrect. Ticce If I were calling. This is half of the correct subjunctive sentence, the other half is missing.

— Dimsumexpress

  • Ticce If I be calling This is incorrect.
  • Ticce If I were calling.
  • This is half of the correct subjunctive sentence, the other half is missing.
  • This is present progressive Ticce I was calling This is past progressiv e and has nothing to do with subjunctive.
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12 Answers
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TicceIf I be calling
This is incorrect.
TicceIf I were calling.
This is half of the correct subjunctive sentence, the other half is missing.
TicceI am calling This is not indicative.This is present progressive
TicceI was calling
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dimsumexpress
."TicceI am calling This is not indicative. This is present progressive
?????? indicative and present progressive are from two different categories.

There are 3 moods in English
imperative mode
conditional mood
conjunctive mood

And it is simply wrong to compare MOODS with TENSES

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Interestingly, I have found a comment on the matter in a so-called official source

The form if I be writing, implies the progression or continuance of the action. Examples of the Subjunctive Present. - If he be alone, give him the letter.

Still, it is not clear why native speakers consider this construction to be a wrong one.
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TicceThere are 3 moods in English
imperative mode
conditional mood
conjunctive mood
I am not a teaching professional, nor a grammarian. But I love and study English. Your original question was relative to subjunctive, which is a hughly confusing subject without going into the various classifcations of "MOODS". I am calling - is clearl
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No, my dear friend, I agree that - I am calling is PRESENT PROGRESSIVE. However, I must repeat it for you that you are missing the point here.

Let me illustrate it for you with another example.

Supposing there are a few cars, trucks and bulldozers. So, I am pointing at a car and claim that this is a CAR. Suddenly, you show up and say - No, this is not a car. This is Me
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TicceLet me illustrate it for you with another example.
Supposing there are a few cars, trucks and bulldozers. So, I am pointing at a car and claim that this is a CAR. Suddenly, you show up and say - No, this is not a car. This is Mercedes. We have the same situation here. If you don't understand this

imperati
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Sorry I missed the indicative mood........ there should be 4

indicative mood
imperative mode
conditional mood
conjunctive mood
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Umm... since you already know so much about "moods", I should be asking you for help!
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1) If you mean America, we're dumb. If you mean England, it must have just caught on because it's sometimes a fine line between indicative and subjunctive

2) "If I be calling" is present PROGRESSIVE tense, subjunctive mood. "If I were calling" is past PROGRESSIVE tense, subjunctive mood. (The simple present tense, subjunctive mood of "to call" is "If I call," and the simple past tense, su
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Anonymous"If I were calling" technically shouldn't refer to the future tense, and technically, neither should "If I be calling."
What, in your opinion, should "If I be calling", "If I were calling" refer to?
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