Was vs. Were: Is This the Subjunctive?

Question

He wondered what she was/were doing.I have seen examples all over the web that use an "if" clause to get the point across, as well as examples using wish.  What I would like to know is if this statement counts as subjunctive (making the "were" correct), as the subject ("he") is uncertain about the activities of "she."  I feel like the unspoken words of that statement (with regards to the context of the fiction I'm writing) are: "...if she were up to no good, he might do something about it" (but he doesn't know for sure).Is the above sentence in the subjunctive?  If not, how would it be worded to make it the subjunctive?  Does the subjunctive require explicitly setting out a condition?  I know that the subjunctive is going out of use, but I don't want to be lazy about it just because I can.Thank you very much!

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

AnonymousHe wondered what she was/were doing.I have seen examples all over the web that use an "if" clause to get the point across, as well as examples using wish. What I would like to know is if this statement counts as subjunctive (making the "were" correct), as the subject ("he") is uncertain about the activities of "she." I feel like the unspoken words of that statement (with regards to the context of the fiction I'm writing) are: "...if she were up to no good, he might do something about it" (but he doesn't know for sure).Is the above sentence in the subjunctive? If not, how would it be worded to make it the subjunctive? Does the subjunctive require explicitly setting out a condition? I know that the subjunctive is going out of use, but I don't want to be lazy about it just because I can.Thank you very much!

The sentence you gave is not subjunctive.
He wondered what she was doing.

Subjunctive examples:
He demanded that she do the dishes.
If she were to do the dishes, he would be shocked.
If she had done the dishes, he would not have had to do them later.
He wished that she were here, doing the dishes with him.

Reference:

http://www.wordpower.ws/grammar/gramch09.html

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousHe wondered what she was~~/were~~ doing.
...
Is the above sentence in the subjunctive?No. The verb wonder does not take the subjunctive.
Anonymoushow would it be worded to make it the subjunctive?
You can't reword it in a way that both preserves the meaning and uses the subjunctive. If you don't mind a change in meaning, but just want an example of the subjunctive, you can write the following:

He wishes she were doing something else.

The verb wish can take the subjunctive.
AnonymousDoes the subjunctive require explicitly setting out a condition?
No. Note the use of the subjunctive with wish above. There's no condition there. Also note "It's (high) time" which also can take the subjunctive though there's no condition:

It's high time she were doing her homework.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

(Original poster here.)

Thank you SO much. It's great to have a definitive answer on this topic, and the site you referenced is fantastic.

Anonymous · Answer

Oops! I am not sure if my prior "thank you" post referenced AlpheccaStars or not (I hit the "reply" button beneath that reply, but it occurred to me that this particular forum may not work that way).

Thank you once again to AlpheccaStars for your clarification, and for you wonderful reference link.

Thank you to CJ for explaining the other aspects of my question, as well as agreeing with AlpheccaStars' answer.

Thanks to both of you for such a prompt answer! This forum is definitely getting bookmarked. If I weren't on a guest computer, I'd sign up for an account right now.

Thank you!

Was vs. Were: Is This the Subjunctive?

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