[Grammar] Subjunctive form using bare infinitive

[DANAU]

Hi.

I have extracted the sentence below from Practical English Usage by Swan
when the author mentioned about subjunctive form.

" It is essential that every child have the same educational opportunities"

Can I understand it as the verbs in subjunctive mood are also the same as the bare infinitives?

In the sentence above, the bare infinitive of "to have" is "have", and since there is no such infinitive as "to has"
so "have" is used even though 'every child' is singular noun.

 

[tedmc]

The verb have has the forms: have, has, having, had. The base form of the verb is have. The present participle is having. The past tense and past participle form is had.

The subjunctive form is the base form/infinitive form.

 

[jutfrank]

Yes. The present subjunctive forms are identical to the bare infinitive forms.

 

[TheParser]

" It is essential that every child have the same educational opportunities"

NOT A TEACHER



1. I have noticed that educated Americans continue to use the subjunctive much more than do people in other English-speaking countries. In fact, I have read that many American children (who do not even know the word "subjunctive") still say "If I were you," instead of "was." (I do not know whether this is true.)

2. So I believe that there are many people in other English-speaking countries (and in the United States) who see no problem in saying "It is essential that every child should have the same educational opportunities" or even "It is essential that every child has the same educational opportunities."

 

[emsr2d2]

That's the same in the UK. Many people (probably not most people anymore) use "If I were you" without having the faintest idea that they're using the subjunctive, and they couldn't tell you what the subjunctive is.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Oops. See below.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

That's the same in the UK. Many people (probably not most people anymore) use "If I were you" without having the faintest idea that they're using the subjunctive, and they couldn't tell you what the subjunctive is.

1. I have noticed that educated Americans continue to use the subjunctive much more than do people in other English-speaking countries. In fact, I have read that many American children (who do not even know the word "subjunctive") still say "If I were you," instead of "was." (I do not know whether this is true.)

2. So I believe that there are many people in other English-speaking countries (and in the United States) who see no problem in saying "It is essential that every child should have the same educational opportunities" or even "It is essential that every child has the same educational opportunities."

As far as I know, most American schools don't go that deeply into the parts of speech. I don't think I've ever had a teacher mention moods, subjunctive or otherwise, and I was in advanced-placement English in an affluent (read demanding) suburban high school.

We did a lot of sentence diagramming, which, as I understand it, was invented to avoid deeper study of parts of speech.

And that was the sixties. Since then, I'm told there's been progressively less focus on spelling and grammar. My college-graduate step-daughter, for instance, who can't spell herself out of a paper bag, studied English via the so-called whole language approach. She's now teaching special ed. Hm.

You probably know more about the whole language approach than I do. If you don't, Google it for an eye-opener. My wife is convinced it's a form of child abuse.

Anyhow, that's why I avoid all but the most basic subject/verb/object grammar questions here. Color me clueless.