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Fab54 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

sunbjunctive....again!!! I'm sorry :-(

Emotion: smileHi everyone,

I know that questions about the subjunctive have been asked a bizillion times, and I thought I had understood it but I always manage somehow to read something and get confused again!!

I know that there are a lot of posts about the subject and I have looked at them carefully but I didn't really find an answer.

I was reading a website about the subjunctive (english/spanish) and I read the following sentences

1) His ambition is that his son become president

2) His father approves that she study in the university

At first glance they seemed "natural" to me, but then if I replace the verbs to become and to study by to be, I get

1) His ambition is that his son be president

2) His father approves that she be in the university

And this sentences seem highly unnatural to me.....I would put "is" instead of "be"

What do you think?

Thanks


PS: The webpage were I found those sentences is.

(I am not advertising, I am just giving the reference)

  

Top answer

Hello fab54, they are both lovely! I be, you be would be equally correct (in the subjunctive of course). rgds, cairn

— Cairn

  • Hello fab54, they are both lovely!
  • I be, you be would be equally correct (in the subjunctive of course).
  • rgds, cairn
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7 Answers
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Hello fab54,

they are both lovely!

I be, you be would be equally correct (in the subjunctive of course).

rgds,

cairn
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hi fab,

you are right, people use subjunctive in a very limited way. Usual sentences are:

I wish you were here (someone is not there, expresses wish)
It's hightime we left caffe (we should go)
If only my mother knew (but she didn't)

Trying to use in some other context is rather difficult to non-natives, you might sound akwardly...
imagine

She deman
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thanks !! (Y)

Srdjan, the webpage you suggested to me is very good! thanks

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Be careful with cross-language discussions of the subjunctive! Not all languages use the subjunctive in the same circumstances. Some of the English translations are meant to be suggestive and helpful in a general way - not models necessarily of good or natural English grammar. The more natural English translation of the Spanish subjunctive, for example, is often a "for ... to ..." clause.
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Thanks, calif for your suggestion!!
It's true that when you learn another languahe you try to "copy" the structure of your mother tongue, and that's not always a good idea...
From now on I'll try to speak english with sentences than sound a bit akward to me ;-)
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The last (or next) message was from me, but I forgot to sign in before writting it :-)
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Fab54And this sentences seem highly unnatural to me.....I would put "is" instead of "be"

Hello Fab54

Also, BrE seems to be less tolerant of the 'present subjunctive' than other Englishes. Often in BrE, a 'should' or infinitive structure is used instead:

1. His ambition is that his son should become president.
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