[Grammar] Simple Presente Tense and Simple Past Tense in the subjunctive mood.

[The apprentice]

Although I have read up on the subjunctive mood, I find myself this mood somewhat difficult to have a good command of it in English, perhaps it is because it is not as common as it is in my native Spanish.

One of the rules governing this mood or mode is that ''s or es'' is not added to the verb in the Simple Present Tense to the subject pronouns ''He/She/It''; the verb remains in its base form. For example:

a - I prefer that he speak to me directly.

b - Her teacher suggested that she study hard for the next test.


QUESTION:

I would like to know if this afore-mentioned rule applies to the Simple Past Tense too because I just saw the below sentence in a link related to this subject; the verb also remains in its base form.

c - It was important that he call me yesterday.


NOTE: It seems to me that there was a writing mistake in this sentence and that it must have been written as follows:

d - It was important that he called me yesterday.


I ask - as usual - for your help and cooperation in this matter.


Regards.

 

[niamadpour]

check this out
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...y-quot-or-quot-I-suggest-that-he-studies-quot

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

As far as I am concerned your sentence c means that yesterday it was important to you to receive a call from him, but we don't know whether you got one or not.

Sentence d means that he did call you yesterday and you consider that fact important.

 

[The apprentice]

Thank you Roma55 for your reply:


I got it from this web site, but I changed the predicate.


http://www.esl-library.com/blog/2013/05/02/tips-for-teaching-the-subjunctive/

 

[Raymott]

check this out
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...y-quot-or-quot-I-suggest-that-he-studies-quot

There's no mention on that thread of using the past subjunctive with the past tense that I could find.

 

[Raymott]

I got it from this web site, but I changed the predicate.
http://www.esl-library.com/blog/2013...e-subjunctive/

Did you notice these, a few lines above your index sentence:

• His boss demanded that he work overtime.
  
• Her teacher suggested that she study for three hours last night.

Why didn't you assume that the predicate was wrong in those too?

Your sentence c is correct in my opinion. You certainly can't change it to d and expect it to mean the same.
Here's a dialogue:
A: Peter said he'd call you today.
B: But it was essential that he call me yesterday. It's too late now.

 

[The apprentice]

Dear Raymoott:


After posting this thread and continuing reading up on the subjunctive I just learned that the verb in the subjunctive mood does not change either in the present tense or in the past; the verb changing the tense is the one introducing the subjunctive mood in the sentence:

1) It is essential that she be present for the meeting (Present).

2) It was esssential that she be present for the meeting (Past).


Thank you.