The Speculative Paper (Using the Subjunctive)
Here are some questions that require the use of the subjunctive:
- What would your life be like if you were living in the first half of this millenium?
- Argentina now has clinics that provide subsidized plastic surgery for people who can't afford it. If the government would pay for plastic surgery, what's the one thing you would have done?" (Rose & Tom, KTZN 12 July 1997)
- "If you had to liken yourself to a famous person, which one would you say you looked like?" (Larry Elder, KABC, 3 July 1997)
- "If you were making a contract with your (present) employer, what little perk, Hollywood extra, would make your job perfect?" (Sam Rubin, 2 July 1997, FM Real Radio 97.1)
- What kind of effect have you had on the people in your life? If you had never been born, what would life for others be and have been like? It's a Wonderful Life, with Jimmy Stewart asks this question. (Michael Jackson, 3 July 1997, KABC) (past subjunctive)
- What would life have been like if you had lived 1000 years ago? (Atlantic Monthly, August 1999) (past subjunctive)
here it is:
The subjunctive is an unreal tense. It sounds like it could be the past tense, but it is not. It indicates that the occurrence or situation in the if... clause is not or was not real; the main clause is always in the conditional. Look at these examples;
- Unreal Present: Present subjunctive:
- "If I were a bird, I would be an eagle." (are you a bird? no)
- "If I won the lottery, I'd ..." (have you won the lottery? What are your chances?--this is an unreal, possible but wishful, future)
- Unreal past: past subjunctive:
- The cat wouldn't have had a problem if the dog hadn't tried to have it for lunch. (Bill Handel, KFI, 12 July 1997)
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