The Subjunctive

The quality of mood describes how a writer intends a statement to be taken.

There are three moods in English. The indicative mood is used to state facts. The imperative mood is used to make commands. The subjunctive mood is used to indicate wishes, desires, or suppositions.

INDICATIVE
The driver was careful.

IMPERATIVE
Be careful!

SUBJUNCTIVE
If I were you, I would be careful.

The subjunctive is often used in statements that express wishes. The following sentences correctly use the subjunctive:

I wish it were not so late.
I wish that she were going with me.

The subjunctive appears in “if” clauses that describe situations contrary to fact. The following sentences correctly use the subjunctive:

If I were going to the dance, I would buy a new dress.
If I were the lottery winner, I would spend a year traveling.

Click the correct sentence. I wish that the time was passing more quickly. I wish that the time were passing more quickly.