The subjunctive is a verb mood used to express situations that are not presented as simple facts. It often marks wishes, demands, recommendations, necessities, hypotheticals, or conditions that are uncertain or contrary to reality. In English, the subjunctive is mostly visible in certain fixed patterns rather than in many distinct verb endings. You recognize it by the type of meaning and by a few key forms like the base verb after “that” and “were” in unreal statements.

Tense locates a verb in time, while mood shows the speaker’s attitude toward the action or situation. The subjunctive contrasts with the indicative, which presents statements as facts or questions about facts. It also contrasts with the imperative, which directly gives commands. Understanding subjunctive meaning first helps you choose the right structure even when the verb form looks similar to other moods.

After certain verbs, adjectives, and nouns that express demands, recommendations, or necessity, English often uses a “that-clause” with the base form of the verb. This is called the mandative subjunctive. The verb in the that-clause does not take -s in the third person singular and does not show past tense, because it expresses what should happen, not what is happening. This structure is common in formal writing and careful speech.

Rule	Example
Use base verb after that when expressing demand or recommendation	They insisted that he leave now.
No third person singular -s in the that-clause	She recommends that he study more.
Use be as be for all subjects	It is essential that I be present.
Often follows verbs like demand, insist, suggest, recommend, propose, require	The coach suggested that she rest.
Also follows adjectives like important, essential, vital, necessary, crucial	It is vital that we act quickly.

English has common alternatives to the mandative subjunctive, especially in everyday style. You can often replace it with “should” plus the base verb, or sometimes with an infinitive construction. These alternatives keep the same meaning of recommendation or necessity, but they change the tone and formality. Choosing between them is mostly a style choice unless a specific register is expected.

Rule	Example
Use should to soften or for common everyday phrasing	They insisted that he should leave now.
Use an infinitive when the subject is the same or can be framed that way	She wants him to study more.
Keep meaning of necessity even when the form changes	It is important that we be on time.

In unreal or counterfactual statements, English often uses “were” with I, he, she, and it. This form signals that the situation is imagined, unlikely, or contrary to reality. It commonly appears after “if” and after “wish,” and it is especially expected in formal English. In informal speech, many speakers use “was,” but “were” clearly marks the subjunctive meaning.

Rule	Example
Use were for unreal condition with I, he, she, it	If I were taller, I would play basketball.
Use were after wish for present unreal situations	I wish she were here.
Use were after as if or as though for unreal comparisons	He acts as if he were the boss.
Was is common informally, were is more standard for unreality	If I was late, it was my fault.

Subjunctive meaning often appears in conditional sentences that describe unreal or hypothetical situations. The form you choose depends on whether the condition is open and possible, or unreal and contrary to fact. Unreal present conditions typically use past form with “would” in the result, and unreal past conditions use past perfect with “would have.” This is sometimes called the “past subjunctive” and “perfect subjunctive” in descriptions of English usage.

Rule	Example
Open condition uses present tense forms, not subjunctive meaning	If it rains, we will stay inside.
Unreal present uses past form and would in the result	If it rained, we would stay inside.
Unreal present with be often uses were	If she were ready, we would leave.
Unreal past uses past perfect and would have	If I had known, I would have called.

After “wish,” English uses forms that emphasize unreality rather than actual time. For present wishes about now, English often uses past forms, and with be it commonly uses “were.” For wishes about the past, English uses past perfect to show regret about something that did not happen. For wishes about the future, English typically uses “would” to express a desire for change, often involving someone else’s behavior.

Rule	Example
Present wish uses past form for unreality	I wish I had more time.
With be, present wish often uses were	She wishes she were taller.
Past wish uses past perfect for regret	I wish I had studied earlier.
Future wish often uses would for change in behavior or situation	I wish he would stop interrupting.

English keeps the subjunctive in several fixed phrases that are common in formal speech, writing, or ceremonial contexts. These expressions often use the base verb or an older pattern and may not follow everyday grammar expectations. Learning them as chunks helps you recognize subjunctive meaning even when the structure feels unusual. They are not interchangeable with indicative forms in many contexts because the phrase itself has become conventional.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
God save	an expression of a wish	God save the King.
Long live	a wish for long duration or success	Long live the republic.
Be that as it may	despite that fact or argument	Be that as it may, we must decide.
Suffice it to say	it is enough to say	Suffice it to say, I disagreed.
So be it	acceptance of a decision or outcome	If that is your choice, so be it.

In mandative subjunctive clauses, the verb stays in the base form, and negation is formed with “not” before the base verb. English does not use do-support inside the mandative subjunctive, so you do not say “does not leave” in that specific structure. In unreal “were” patterns, negation works normally with “not,” and contractions are possible. Paying attention to where “not” goes helps keep the structure clearly subjunctive.

Rule	Example
Mandative negative uses not plus base verb	They demanded that he not speak.
Avoid does not in mandative subjunctive	It is important that she not miss the meeting.
Were patterns negate with not as usual	If I were not busy, I would go.
Contractions are possible in speech and informal writing	If he weren’t so tired, he would stay.

Subjunctive choices in English are closely tied to register and clarity of meaning. The mandative subjunctive is common in American English and in formal legal or academic style, while British English often prefers “should” in similar contexts. Using “were” for unreality is more formal and explicit than using “was,” especially with I and he she it. The key is to match form to meaning: use subjunctive patterns when you want to highlight demand, necessity, or counterfactuality.

Region	Word	Regional Definition
American English	that he leave	common formal and neutral mandative subjunctive
British English	that he should leave	common alternative to mandative subjunctive
Formal style	If I were	preferred marker of counterfactual meaning
Informal style	If I was	common speech variant, less explicit counterfactual marker