
14-Jul-2008, 07:59
|
 | VIP Member | | Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,996
Home Country: Australia Native Language: English Current Location: Australia Member Type: Academic | |
Re: why the third person singular has no tense here? Quote:
Originally Posted by bhaisahab Well obviously, if they want the job they should... if not then they should not. | Of course, but I think students need to be able to recognise the subjunctive even if they never use it - especially in this form where it does make a difference to the meaning (as opposed to the "If she was / If she were", which doesn't).
There is a semantic difference - in many English dialects still - between:
The appeals court agreed that the man should be hanged (which most people believed already).
The appeals court agreed that the man be hanged (which is worse news for the man than the above). |