173 Chapter 13: Are You and Your Verbs in the Right Mood? s Wish, thank. The imperative verbs are created by subtracting to from the infinitives. t Remember. Somehow I doubt that Henry will forget this fact, but to order him, take to from the infinitive. u be. The subjunctive is needed for this indirect command, expressed by the verb asked. v were. Ellen likes to sleep until mid-afternoon. As she’s not a morning person, the subjunctive verb were expresses condition-contrary-to-fact. The verb were is better than had been because Ellen still is not a morning person, and had been brings in the past. w snows. Surprise! This one isn’t subjunctive. The instructor is talking about a possibility, not a condition that didn’t occur. The normal indicative form, snows, is what you want. x had covered. The plow didn’t finish (the clue here is would have passed), so subjunctive is needed. y be. An indirect command is created by the verb declared. The subjunctive be fits nicely. A postpone. The indicative (the normal, everyday form) of to postpone is postpones, when the verb is paired with examiner. Here the indirect command created by requested calls for the sub- junctive postpone. B had not refused. The examiner stood firm: Take the test or die. Thus the first part of this sen- tence is condition-contrary-to-fact and calls for the subjunctive. C had complained. Ellen said nothing, as revealed by the conditional would have investigated in the second part of the sentence. Subjunctive is the way to go! D is. Did I get you here? The possibility expressed in the if portion of the sentence calls for a normal, indicative verb (is). Stay away from subjunctive if the statement may be true. E is. The first part of this sentence is not condition-contrary-to-fact. It expresses a possibility and thus calls for the normal, indicative verb (is). F had not taken. She has taken it five times, so the statement isn’t true and needs a subjunctive. G goes. Here the sentence expresses a possibility. She may go and she may have more luck. Stay away from subjunctive if the sentence may be true. H skids. As in sentence 32, this one talks about something that is true (or may be true). Go for the normal indicative and give the subjunctive a rest. I had traveled. She didn’t travel, and she (thank goodness) doesn’t have a license. This condi- tion-contrary-to-fact sentence needs the subjunctive. J demonstrate. The verb requires tips you off to the fact that subjunctive is appropriate for the indirect command. 19_599321 ch13.qxp 4/3/06 11:27 PM Page 173 K Correct. L The indicative is called for here because the sentences expresses a truth, not a condition- contrary-to-fact or a command. M This part of the sentence expresses an indirect command, that every employee submit. The indicative verb that matches the singular subject every employee is submits, but the subjunc- tive form (submit) is needed here. N A normal indicative verb works here because possibility exists. O The indicative is works best in this sentence, which expresses a real possibility and not a condition-contrary-to-fact. P Because the possibility exists, the indicative is called for. Q This statement is simply a fact, so the indicative is needed. R The second part of the sentence is an indirect command (the employee “donate”) and needs the subjunctive. 63 8 3 93 14 3 4 4 4 54 74 94 0 5 55 45 15 25 04 24 64 84 35 73 Progress Report: Coffee Break Control From: Ms. Bell, Coffee Break Coordinator To: Ms. Schwartz, Department Head Re: Coffee Break Control July 31, 2006 As you know, I were am now in charge of implementing the new directive that every employee submits submit to a coffee-residue test. If a test were is given at a time when coffee-sipping were is not authorized and the results were are positive, the policy require requires that the worker “donates” “donate” a pound of coffee to the break room. Do not asked ask me to describe the union’s reaction to this directive. If I would tell were to tell you what the shop steward would have said, you had blushed would blush. All I would say will say is that the steward were was not happy. Would Had you have known about the reaction before issuing the directive, you would have had reconsidered. One more thing: the coffee stains on my shirt, if they were to come out, should not make you thought think that I were drinking drink coffee outside of the official break time. These stains result from coffee being thrown at me. 174 Part III: The Pickier Points of Correct Verb and Pronoun Use 19_599321 ch13.qxp 4/3/06 11:27 PM Page 174 S The imperative mood, the command, calls for the infinitive minus the to. As this is a negative command, do not is added. In the original, the -ed at the end of ask is wrong. T The writer is not telling, so a subjunctive verb form is needed to express a condition-contrary- to-fact. U The report referred to concerns what was actually said. Indicative rules! V In a sentence expressing a condition-contrary-to-fact, the “untrue” portion should be subjunc- tive, with the “would” statement in the other part of the sentence. This sentence reverses the proper order (and plops a correct indicative verb, said, in the middle). Another possible correc- tion: Had I told you . . . you would blush. W A plain indicative verb is needed for this statement. X The original has a subjunctive (were) but indicative is called for in this simple statement. Y The sentence expresses an untruth, so you need subjunctive. The corrected sentence reads “Had you known about the reaction. . . .” z The original has two “would” statements. The “would” doesn’t belong in the “untrue” portion of the sentence. Replace the first with a had statement and you’re in business: Had you known . . . you would have reconsidered. Z This sentence doesn’t express a condition-contrary-to-fact. Instead, it talks about a possibility. Go with indicative, not subjunctive. 1 Stay in the indicative present here, not past. 2 Indicative present is needed here. 3 Correct. 175 Chapter 13: Are You and Your Verbs in the Right Mood? 19_599321 ch13.qxp 4/3/06 11:27 PM Page 175 176 Part III: The Pickier Points of Correct Verb and Pronoun Use 19_599321 ch13.qxp 4/3/06 11:27 PM Page 176 Part IV All You Need to Know about Descriptions and Comparisons 25_599321 pt4.qxp 4/3/06 8:51 PM Page 177 In this part . . . L isten to a little kid and you hear language at its most basic: Tommy want apple. Mommy go store? No nap! These “sentences” — nouns and verbs and little else — communicate effectively, but everyone who’s passed the sandbox stage needs a bit more. Enter descriptions and comparisons. Also enter complications, because quite a few common errors are associated with these elements. In this part you can practice your navigation skills, steer- ing around such pitfalls as the choice between adjectives, adverbs, and articles. (Sweet or sweetly? Good or well? A or an? Chapter 14 explains all.) This part also tackles the placement of descriptions (Chapter 15) and the proper way to form comparisons (Chapters 16 and 17). Mastering all these topics lifts you out of the sandbox and places you permanently on the highest grammatical levels. 25_599321 pt4.qxp 4/3/06 8:51 PM Page 178 . You and Your Verbs in the Right Mood? 19_ 599 321 ch13.qxp 4/3/06 11:27 PM Page 175 176 Part III: The Pickier Points of Correct Verb and Pronoun Use 19_ 599 321 ch13.qxp 4/3/06 11:27 PM Page 176 Part. coffee being thrown at me. 174 Part III: The Pickier Points of Correct Verb and Pronoun Use 19_ 599 321 ch13.qxp 4/3/06 11:27 PM Page 174 S The imperative mood, the command, calls for the infinitive. requires tips you off to the fact that subjunctive is appropriate for the indirect command. 19_ 599 321 ch13.qxp 4/3/06 11:27 PM Page 173 K Correct. L The indicative is called for here because