USING THE SUBJUNCTIVE
The subjunctive is a forms of the verb which expresses states that do not exist (but can or are likely to happen).
Two types of subjunctive exist in English: the present subjunctive and the past subjunctive.
The form of the present subjunctive is the same as that of the infinitive:
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PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE
The verb 'to be':
I be
you be
she/he/it be
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we be
you be
they be
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PAST SUBJUNCTIVE
The verb 'to be':
I were
you were
she/he/it were
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we were
you were
they were
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Note that no 's' is added to the end of the third person singular: she take; he get; it have.
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Note that verbs other than the verb to be take the same form as the simple past tense: she took; he got; it had.
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Uses of the Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive has two uses in academic English. First, it follows verbs, nouns or adjectives that express the idea of command, suggestion or possibility:
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VERB:
We recommend that JavaScript library files no longer be placed in the Common folder since it increases RAM usage.
Verbs requiring the subjunctive:
recommend, advise, propose, require, demand, ask, request, imply, suggest, hope, wish
NOUNS:
It is the recommendation of this report that JavaScript library files no longer be placed in the Common folder since it increases RAM usage.
Nouns requiring the subjunctive:
recommendation, advice, demand, request, requirement, proposal, suggestion, hope, wish
ADJECTIVES:
It is essential that JavaScript library files no longer be placed in the Common folder since it increases RAM usage.
Adjectives requiring the subjunctive:
essential, important, appropriate
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This use of the present subjunctive is common in American English. In British English it is more usual to use should. However, even in British English, it seems that the present subjunctive may be on the rise.
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The report recommends that JavaScript library files should no longer be placed in the Common folder since it increases RAM usage.
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The second use of the present subjunctive is in clauses beginning with words such as if, although, whether:
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If that be the case, there is little more we can do.
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Uses of the Past subjunctive
The past subjunctive effectively relates only to the verb 'to be', where it takes the form were. It is used to express hypothetical states, and comes after the verbs 'wish' and 'suppose', conjunctions such as 'if', 'if only', 'as', 'though', 'whether', and the phrases 'would rather', and 'would that':
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I wish this report were ready.
If I were you, would find a new job.
If only my father were still alive.
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Although the past subjunctive is widely used in everyday English, in non-formal contexts it is often replaced by 'was' in the first and third person singular:
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Informal (spoken):
I wish this report was already finished.
Formal (written):
I wish this report were already finished.
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