English Grammar - The Subjunctive

Hey guys, I'm Alex. Thanks for clicking and welcome to this advanced grammar lesson on

the subjunctive. Now, this is a formal structure that we often use to emphasize urgency or

importance. The subjunctive is a part of grammar that we use after certain verbs or with certain

verbs. So, I have a list of verbs at the bottom of the board here. We have advise, ask, command,

demand, desire, insist, propose, recommend, request, suggest, and urge. And these verbs,

when you use them to talk about urgency or importance, how something needs to be done

or you suggest something, they are followed with a certain structure. And this structure

is demonstrated on the board for you guys. And again, this is commonly used for advice.

So, for example, "She suggested that I leave early." Okay, so the subjunctive needs two

things. First, you need the subject, right? The person who mentioned whatever it is that

the information is. You have the verb, right? Kind of like the advice verb or the urgency

verb or importance verb. So, "She suggested." We have "that." Now, "that" is optional, so

I put it in brackets. You can use it or you can not use it. It's your decision. Then,

you have the person who received the message of importance or urgency. Then, this is very

important, you have the verb, which is always in the simple form, even in the third person.

Okay? Now, at first, it might be a little weird. It sounds a little strange, but grammatically,

this is absolutely correct. So, let's read the sentences and talk about them individually.

So, "She suggested," right, in the past, "She suggested that I leave early." Okay? So, here

you have, again, "She suggested to me." So, "She suggested that I leave early." And again,

simple verb, right? "I recommend that you study hard." The same construction. "I recommend

to you," right, "that you study hard." Next, here we have a third person. So, this is the

one that might sound a little weird to you in the beginning, since most third person

verbs -- well, most all. Sorry for that, guys. All third person verbs in the present simple

require an "s." Now, in the subjunctive, in this mode where you're talking about advice

or you're emphasizing importance or urgency of something, you don't use the "s." You always

use the simple verb. So, "It's important that he come on time." Okay? Here you have the

verb, "come." We don't say, "That he comes." It's important that he comes on time. Grammatically,

it should be, "It's important that he come on time." Next, finally, we have a negative.

If you want to make the subjunctive negative, you just add the word "not" before the verb.

So, "I propose that we not go there." "Not I propose that we don't go there." Okay? Now,

as you noticed, this might sound very formal, right? It is a little formal, and honestly,

there are people who do say, "I propose that we don't go there." It's accepted in speech.

It's accepted in spoken English. Grammatically, though, this is the way you are supposed to

say it. Same with the third person example, okay? "It's important that he come on time."

You will hear native speakers that say, "It's important that he comes on time." Meaning-wise,

you understand the meaning, right? You think, "There's nothing wrong with that sentence."

Grammatically, it's supposed to be this, all right? So, just be aware that there is a difference

between what is grammatically correct and what is used, because both are used, okay?

All right, guys. If you want to test your understanding of the subjunctive, and also,

I recommend if you don't understand some of these words, check out, you know, any dictionary

website on the internet, like freedictionary.com or dictionary.com to check the meaning. And,

again, if you want to check your understanding of using the subjunctive, make sure that you

check out the quiz on www.engvid.com. Take care, guys. See ya.