subjunctive

[5jj]

As teachers, we owe it to our students to label the tense-form that appears in the protasis of any second conditional a past subjunctive,
!

As teachers we surely owe it to our students to help them use the language as proficiently as possible.

A rather more straightforward way of looking at the subject is to consider that the use of the word ‘subjunctive' is unhelpful for learners today. This is recognition of reality, not dumbing down.

Modern English expresses the hypothetical and the counterfactual in a number of ways that in some other languages might be expressed by a subjunctive. (Pedroski’s worry about foreign learners, “They will wonder where the subjunctive got to in English,” is, of course, irrelevant. Different languages work in different ways.)

One way of analysing English tenses is to think of the so-called present tenses as ‘unmarked’ and the so-called past tenses as ‘marked for distancing’, that distancing being in directness (I wondered if you had a moment), vividness/time (He arrived yesterday) and reality (If only I had time)

You can read more on these ideas At http://www.gramorak.com/Articles/Tense.pdf
and http://www.gramorak.com/Articles/Communication.pdf

If anyone is interested in discussing these ideas, or any aspects of the subjunctive, I think we should do so by PM from now on. This thread has already become unhelpful for most learners.

If anyone interested in the original question posted is still with us, I suggest that you look back at post #2 for a concise and accurate answer.


I shall now take my leave.:hi:

 

[philo2009]

I shall now take my leave.:hi:

And I, mine!

We will agree to differ.