Stephanie was here. I wish Stephanie were here. Tim picks up the dry cleaning. It’s imperative that Tim pick up the dry cleaning. You are on time. It’s crucial you be on time. Have you ever noticed ...

Today’s column describes the subjunctive mood. Some readers may be tempted to respond, “What in the world is that?” and “Why do I need to know about it?” Those questions, I submit, would probably ...

The New York Times' After Deadline blog contains a fantastic letter to the paper's editor from March of 1924 that reminds us that the more things change, the more they stay the same, copy-wise and ...

IT won't be surprising at all if this basic grammar question still stumps not just a few English writers and speakers among us: "How do you know if a sentence that uses 'were' is indicative or ...

@tanehisi Only a mood in English, but it is used with dreams, doubts, wants and possibilties. It's why ppl say "if I were" instead of "was." -- Erin (Q.) Hinson (@myriare) March 1, 2013 To help with ...

This is a preview. Log in through your library . Cambridge University Press (www.cambridge.org) is the publishing division of the University of Cambridge, one of the world’s leading research ...

The present subjunctive tense is used to express doubt, possibility, requests, and after verbs of emotion. It is also used after certain phrases like 'cuando' and 'para que'.