The Suppositional Mood and Subjunctive I

These two moods will be treated together because they have the same meaning and are practically interchangeable in use. They differ in form as well as stylistically.

Form: Subjunctive I is a synthetical form which survived from Old English. It has only one form, which is homonymous with the verb stem: be, do, have, go, write, etc.

The Suppositional Mood is an analytical form which is built up with the help of the auxiliary verb should for all persons + the Infinitive. The non-perfect Suppositional mood: should be, should do, should write. The perfect Suppositional Mood: should have been, should have done, should have written.

Meaning: Both Subjunctive I and the Suppositional Mood express problematic actions, not necessarily contradicting reality. These actions are presented as necessity, order, suggestion, supposition, desire, request, etc.

Expressing the same kind of modality, Subjunctive I and the Suppositional Mood are used in the same syntactic structures and are, to a great extent, interchangeable. However, they differ stylistically: thus, in the British variant of the English language Subjunctive I is only preserved in elevated prose, poetry or official documents. In neutral, everyday speech the Suppositional Mood is used. In American English Subjunctive I in neutral and colloquial speech is the norm:

He even suggested that I should play cricket with his sons (Br.E.).

He suggested that I come for her (Am.E.).

Use: A. Simple Sentence

In simple sentences only Subjunctive I is used in a few set expressions as a survival of old usage (the so-called formulaic expressions).

1. Most of them express a wish:

Long live the Army!

Success attend you!

Be yours a happy meeting!

Far be it from me to spoil the fun / to conceal the truth.

Suffice it to say that he is a liar.

God bless you! God save the Queen! Heaven forbid!

Confound your ideas!

Subjunctive I in such expressions can be replaced by “may + Infinitive”:

May success attend you! May your meeting be happy!

May the Army live long!

2. Some formulaic expressions have a concessive meaning:

Happen (come) what may (will).

Cost what it may.

So be it (Be it so).

Subjunctive I in these expressions may be replaced by Let + Infinitive:

Let it be so.

3. The only productive pattern of a simple sentence with Subjunctive I is the sentence expressing a command or a request with an indefinite pronoun as the subject:

Everybody leave the room!

Somebody switch off the light!

Subjunctive I may be replaced in such sentences by “let + Infinitive”:

Let everybody leave the room.

4. The Suppositional Mood is used only in one type of interrogative sentences beginning with And what if …? (А что если вдруг …?):

And what if he should come back?