Forum newsfeeds 
|  | | Notices | You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion. | 
24-Jun-2007, 18:59
| | |  Subjunctive
Hey,
this is the given sentence:
Whatever she decides, we cannot change our plans.
Is the subjunctive:
Whatever she decide, we cannot change our plans.
Whatever she decides, we cannot change our plans.
or is both possible as subjunctive.
thank you for your help !!!
Bye
Blindi |
24-Jun-2007, 19:17
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Country: Romania
Posts: 1,673
Current Location: Romania First Language: Romanian Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 0
Thanked 30 Times in 27 Posts
| | Re: Subjunctive
Quote:
Originally Posted by big  Hey,
this is the given sentence:
Whatever she decides, we cannot change our plans.
Is the subjunctive:
1.Whatever she decide, we cannot change our plans.-not correct
2.Whatever she decides, we cannot change our plans.-correct
or is both possible as subjunctive.
thank you for your help !!!
Bye
Blindi | Hi
The second sentence is correct. The Subjunctive Mood is not possible here because "decide" does not require subjunctive:
e.g. I requested that she change / should change her plans.
I suggested that she see / should see a doctor.
Regards |
24-Jun-2007, 19:18
|  | Senior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Country: Poland
Posts: 1,143
Current Location: Swindon, England First Language: Polish Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 10
Thanked 178 Times in 169 Posts
| |  Re: Subjunctive
The subjunctive occurs mainly in very formal styles, involving the base form of the verb, without any inflections (like the '-s' on third person singular): I insist that she do that herself.
The subjunctive form of the verb be may occur as the base form be or as hypothetical were (for all persons): Far be it from me to tell you what to do.
If I were a teacher I would be really happy.
However, in your sentences I cannot see any reason for using the subjunctive mood, I'm afraid.  |
24-Jun-2007, 21:15
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Country: canada
Posts: 1,463
Current Location: canada First Language: english Member Type: Other Thanks: 4
Thanked 310 Times in 296 Posts
| | Re: Subjunctive
engee30
I think you mean, 'Far be it for me to tell you what to do.'
Am I right? |
24-Jun-2007, 21:27
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Country: Poland
Posts: 1,143
Current Location: Swindon, England First Language: Polish Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 10
Thanked 178 Times in 169 Posts
| | Re: Subjunctive
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006 engee30
I think you mean, 'Far be it for me to tell you what to do.'
Am I right? | I'm afraid you're wrong, I mean the phrase Far be it from somebody to do something is a fixed phrase, with the subjunctive used. Thus, you can't actually change anything within it. |
24-Jun-2007, 21:45
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Country: canada
Posts: 1,463
Current Location: canada First Language: english Member Type: Other Thanks: 4
Thanked 310 Times in 296 Posts
| | Re: Subjunctive
No, I think you are wrong. The fixed phrase is 'Far be it for someone to do something.' |
24-Jun-2007, 21:55
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Country: Poland
Posts: 1,143
Current Location: Swindon, England First Language: Polish Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 10
Thanked 178 Times in 169 Posts
| |  Re: Subjunctive
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006 No, I think you are wrong. The fixed phrase is 'Far be it for someone to do something.' | 2006 (by the way, my LMS number, the number that I use in a warehouse I work in, is 2004) I am absolutely sure that I am right - I've just rechecked my source of information, and it still says the same thing - it's Far be it from..., not Far be it for.... Making Sense of Grammar
David Crystal  |
24-Jun-2007, 23:13
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Country: canada
Posts: 1,463
Current Location: canada First Language: english Member Type: Other Thanks: 4
Thanked 310 Times in 296 Posts
| | Re: Subjunctive
Well, it's probably another difference between European English and North American English. "for“ is said where I am. |
24-Jun-2007, 23:22
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Country: Poland
Posts: 1,143
Current Location: Swindon, England First Language: Polish Member Type: Student or Learner Thanks: 10
Thanked 178 Times in 169 Posts
| |  Re: Subjunctive
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006 "for“ is said where I am. | Is that so?  Well, since I am not a native speaker of English, I can't tell you whether the version that I provided is the only version that is acceptable here, in Europe.  Apart from the book where I found the information on the issue, I looked the phrase up in two dictionaries - they said the same, the correct preposition was from.  |
28-Jun-2007, 13:32
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Country: Romania
Posts: 1,673
Current Location: Romania First Language: Romanian Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 0
Thanked 30 Times in 27 Posts
| | Re: Subjunctive
Hi
Engee is right.
The standard English phrase is : Far be it from...
Here is the explanation: far be it for me
Regards
Last edited by Teia; 28-Jun-2007 at 13:39.
| | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
Posting Rules
| You may post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT. The time now is 16:27. | |
