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    08a. Mood of Verb Phrase

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    08a. Mood of Verb Phrase

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    08a. Mood of verb phrase

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    08a. Mood of Verb Phrase

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    8a.

    MOOD OF VERB PHRASE


    Mood = a grammatical feature of verbs used to signal modality. Modality refers to the attitude
    of the speaker toward the action or state and mood is the inflectional expression of modality.
    Mood is distinct from tense or aspect, although the same word patterns are used. The three
    moods distinguished are indicative (She enjoys her new job.), imperative (Enjoy your meal!)
    and subjunctive (We insist that he enjoy the meal first before making his speech.).

    Indicative mood

    A form of clause mood which expresses the factual meaning of stating or questioning –
    express facts and opinions. It is the most frequent form and involves all choices of verb
    forms - person, tense, number, aspect, modality and voice. (can be declarative or
    interrogative)

    It is created by stating: It is a nice day.

    or questioning: Are we going out?

    Imperative mood

    A non-factual mood that is used to issue directives, commands, orders, instructions and
    signalises prohibition and permission. It involves bare infinitive, typically with no subject.
    (Sign here, please.)

    Imperatives occasionally occur with an emphatic subject pronoun you. It is used to make
    imperative stronger. (Don’t you dare to eat it!) In informal speech you can occur after the
    verb. (Come on, you!) An indefinite subject such as someone, no one, everyone may occur in
    informal language. (Somebody get one more chair, please.)

    Imperative can also function to make an offer or invitation. (Have some more coffee.) Bare
    infinitive is regarded to be impolite when talking to unknown person – normally it is used
    with please or in the form of question that softens the meaning. (Give us the bill. – Could you
    give us a bill please?)

    Imperatives with do-auxiliary are perceived as more polite than bare imperatives. (Do take
    your coats off.) Imperative with let forms imperatives of first person plural and third person.

    1
    (Bob is here to see you. Let him wait.) Let’s is used for first person plural imperatives, in
    formal form ‘let us’ is used. (Let’s start. Let us remember who died on this day.)

    Negative imperatives are constructed with auxiliary do when contracted don’t is the most
    common form in spoken language. (Don’t be silly. Let’s not be silly.)

    Subjunctive

    The subjunctive mood is a non-factual mood that is very rare in English, occurs only in
    formal styles. It refers to wishes or desires. It is used after a very limited number of verbs: to
    advise, to ask, to command, to demand, to desire, to insist, to propose, to recommend.

    It involves base form of the verb with no inflections. Subjunctive has no –s in third person
    singular present time reference. (Is it important that we be there? I insist that she do these
    things herself.)

    The subjunctive form of the verb be may occur as the base form be or as hypothetical “were”
    for all persons, especially used after if, as if, though, as though. (I can remember it as if it
    were yesterday (or non-subjunctive form – I can remember it as if it was yesterday).

    The subjunctive is also used after the following expressions: It is best, It is crucial, It is
    desirable, It is essential, It is important, It is recommended, It is urgent, It is vital, It is a good
    idea, It is a bad idea.

    It is crucial that you be there before Tom arrives.

    The subjunctive can be used in negative, continuous and passive forms. (Negative: The boss
    insisted that Sam not be at the meeting. Passive: We suggested that you be admitted to the
    organization. Continuous: It is crucial that a car be waiting for the boss when the meeting is
    over.)

    Modal verb should is sometimes used instead of subjunctive. This form is common after verbs
    suggest, insist and recommend. (Professor suggested that Wilma should study harder for the
    final exam.) Some fixed expressions use the formulaic subjunctive. (Long live the King! God
    bless America!) Subjunctive is used in the US much more than in the UK where it is often
    substituted by should phrase.

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