subjunctive past

Question

The Consumers' Association study showed 75% of parents thought junk food advertising campaigns made it harder for them to insist their children ate healthy food.

or

'to insist their children should eat healthy food.

or

'to insist their children eat healthy food.

All three versions are correct.

Am I right?

Goodman · Accepted Answer

I found "insist" sounding not quite right in this context.

How about:

The Consumers' Association study showed 75% of parents thought junk food advertising campaigns made it harder for them to persuade their children to eat healthy food.

Inchoateknowledge · Answer

Hi,

"I found "insist" sounding not quite right in this context. " I think they are equal.

However, I am still uncertain about whether "made it harder for them to insist their children eat/ate/should eat" are all correct.

IMO, they are.

Thanks

Cool Breeze · Answer

Hi Incho

I would say: to insist on their children eating healthy food.

Cheers
CB

Inchoateknowledge · Answer

Hello

And how do you feel about my 3 alternatives

Cool Breeze · Answer

InchoateknowledgeHello

And how do you feel about my 3 alternatives

Many astonishing things are possible in English grammar. I must say I do find a preterite (ate) after insist quite peculiar. I am sure someone will run a search and tell us it is possible, though. So I'll just say I wouldn't use it.

Cheers
CB

Inchoateknowledge · Answer

Cool Breeze
InchoateknowledgeHello

And how do you feel about my 3 alternatives

Many astonishing things are possible in English grammar. I must say I do find a preterite (ate) after insist quite peculiar. I am sure someone will run a search and tell us it is possible, though. So I'll just say I wouldn't use it.

Cheers
CB

And no doubt it will be Marius.

thanks

BarbaraPA · Answer

The Consumers' Association study showed 75% of parents thought junk food advertising campaigns made it harder for them to insist their children ate healthy food. I don't think that "ate" as a past-tense form works here. Like, you wouldn't say "I insisted that you did it my way." Is it as simple as the verb "insiste" (as well as require, etc.) take a bare infinitive?

or

'to insist their children should eat healthy food. This is okay, but the "should" seems out of place with the "insist." So, not so much gramar as the logic of using them together.

or

'to insist their children eat healthy food. By far, my preference.

Yankee · Answer

Hi Inch

I would never use 'ate'. I've heard tell that the Brits often use the 'should do' construction where we Americans would use the subjunctive.

I'm with Barbara: 'eat' is by farmy preference. But, I would agree to humor the Brits by also accepting the "should eat".

Inchoateknowledge · Answer

thanks

ordinary verbs have one subjunctive form.

"It is sometimes used in that clauses in a formal style, especially in AME, after words which express the idea that something is important or desirable. (e.g.: suggest, insist, etc.) The same forms are used in both present and past sentences."

It is/was difficult to insist that the children eat/should eat.

He insisted that the children eat/ should eat.

The original sentence I took from a grammar book is with ate, though, which means the sentence is in indicative mood, and not in subjunctive one.

BarbaraPA · Answer

That's interesting - the "ate" sounds the worst (to my American ears).

Which one sounded best to you?

subjunctive past

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