LII. THE SUBJUNCTIVE MODE

200. When we say, "If I were you, I should be a doctor," we have a dependent proposition, If I were you, which states not a fact, but an imaginary condition. This condition is, moreover, directly contrary to fact, for I am not you, and never can be. The verb used in expressing such a condition is said to be in the subjunctive mode.

201. The subjunctive mode is found not only in dependent propositions introduced by if, but in those introduced by lest, whether, although, etc.

(a) Be quiet lest the baby wake.

(b) We cannot tell whether he be the rightful heir or not.

(c) Though he wait long, yet he will come at last.

In each of these sentences the subjunctive mode is used to express doubt or uncertainty, or something imagined but not actually realized.

202. The subjunctive mode is so named because it is found principally in dependent, or subjoined propositions. It is, however, found also in independent propositions expressing a wish; as, "Long live the King!" "God bless thee, dear!"

203. The subjunctive mode is used in the statement of something that is uncertain; as, "If he come in time, dinner will be served at six." This sentence means that his coming is to take place in the future, hence we cannot tell whether it will be a fact or not. In the sentence, "If he comes in time, dinner is served at six," we use the indicative mode because we mean that sometimes he really does come in time.

204. The subjunctive mode is little used, especially in conversation; but we find many instances of it in the Bible and in the works of Shakespeare, hence we should understand its meaning. Nowadays, except to express a wish, as,

"Heaven defend thee!" and to express a condition contrary to fact, as, "If the ring were gold, it would not discolor your finger," most persons use the indicative mode or some other verb phrase. Instead of saying, "If to-morrow be fair," most persons say, "If to-morrow is fair," or "If to-morrow should be fair." (See Lesson LXI.)

205. There are four tenses in the subjunctive mode, but the forms do not differ greatly from those of the indicative mode. There is no interrogative form.

206. Conjugation of be in the subjunctive mode:

207. Conjugation of see in the subjunctive mode:

we have seen
you have seen
they have seen

Summary. The subjunctive mode is used in an exclamative sentence to express a wish, and in a dependent proposition to express something contrary to fact or something uncertain.

The subjunctive mode has no future tenses.

Exercise 1. Conjugate all the verbs in Exercise 2, p. 126, in the subjunctive mode.

Exercise 2. Select all the verbs in the subjunctive mode in these sentences, and tell why that mode is used:

1. Misery loves company · even though it be very poor com

pany.

2. If the weather be fine, there breaks upon the eye, as we rise higher and higher, a succession of those views of mountain, lake and forest, which can be had only from an elevated position.

3. The Lord be between thee and me when we are absent one from the other.

4. If the whole world were put into one scale and my mother into the other, the world could not outweigh her.

5. If a boy were obliged to work at nut gathering in order to procure food for the family, he would find it very irksome.

7. John convinces himself that he must watch the hawk lest it pounce upon the chicken.

8. If chicadee seem preoccupied or absorbed, you may know that he is building a nest.

9. If I were a millionaire, city life would be agreeable enough, for I could always get away from it.

10.

And Death, whenever he come to me,
Shall come on the wide, unbounded sea.

11. In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

12.

Christ save us all from a death like this,

On the reef of Norman's Woe!

13. If wishes were horses, beggars might ride.

14. God be merciful to us, and bless us, and show us the light of his countenance.

15. If a man say that he hath no sin, he deceiveth himself, and the truth is not in him.

16. If he had told the truth, somebody would have believed him. 17. If impressment were the law of the world, if it formed part of the code of nations and were usually practiced, then it might be defended as a common right.

LIII. THE IMPERATIVE MODE

208. We learned in Lesson XIV that sentences expressing a command or an entreaty are called imperative sentences; that the subject of the verb in an imperative sentence is a pronoun of the second person,-you, thou, or ye; and that this subject is seldom expressed. The verb in an imperative sentence is said to be in the imperative mode; as, "Sleep, baby, sleep."

209. There is only one form for the imperative mode, hence it is not said to have tense at all.

Conjugation of be in the imperative mode:

Plural

see (you or ye)

Summary. The imperative mode is used in expressing a command or an entreaty. It has but one form. Its subject is always the pronoun you, thou, or ye.

Exercise.

From these sentences select the verbs in the imperative mode. Conjugate these verbs in the indicative, subjunctive, and imperative modes.

1. Ring, happy bells, across the snow.

2. Break, break, break, on thy cold, gray stones, O sea!

3. Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

4. Run upstairs and get my glasses.

5. Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks.

6.

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul !
As the swift seasons roll.

Leave thy low-vaulted past,

Let each new temple, nobler than the last,

Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast

Work till the last beam fadeth,
Fadeth to shine no more.

7. Laugh, and the world laughs with you.

8.

9. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I

will give you rest.

10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. 11. Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

12. Honor thy father and thy mother.

13.

Tell me not in mournful numbers

Life is but an empty dream.

Find all the terms of address in the sentences above.

LIV. PRINCIPAL PARTS OF VERBS. REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS

210. If we examine the conjugation of the verb see, we shall discover that most of the tenses are formed by the use of auxiliary verbs, and that only four forms of the verb see itself are made use of; namely, see, sees, saw, seen. The form sees occurs only once, but the other three forms occur often. These three forms see, saw, seen are called the

principal parts of the verb see.

The principal parts of any verb are the present indicative, as, go, take; the past indicative, as, went, took; and another form, as, gone, taken, called the past participle.

211. The past participle is used in forming all the perfect tenses. It is plain, then, that we should say I have gone (not have went), I had taken (not had took); since went and took are past tense forms, not past participles.

The past participle is never used in the primary tenses. That is why we say I saw (not seen), I did (not done).

NOTE. The very common word ought is, as we use it to-day, an old past tense form of the verb owe, and not a past participle. Hence, we should say ought to go, or ought not to go (not had ought to go or hadn't ought to go).