Shifts in Mood NEC FACET Center Introduction Shifts
- Slides: 74
Shifts in Mood NEC FACET Center
Introduction • Shifts in mood are often closely related to shifts in tense. • Both involve verbs. • We will begin this lesson by reviewing grammatical mood.
What is Grammatical Mood? • The grammatical term mood has nothing to do with frame of mind. • Instead, it is a variant of the word mode, meaning “manner or method. ”
What does mood reveal? • Grammatical mood indicates the manner in which the writer conceives of the sentence-that is, the writer’s idea whether the sentence states fact, expresses doubt, gives a command, or performs some other function.
How can we tell the “mood” of a sentence? • The verb or verbs in each sentence indicate the mood in which the writer wrote the sentence.
The Three Moods • English employs three traditionally recognized moods: – Indicative – Imperative – Subjunctive
Indicative
Indicative Mood • • Writers most frequently use indicative mood. Indicative sentences make statements of fact. Example: John will fly to Chicago today. Example: Although I can knit, I have never learned to sew.
Which of the following sentences is in indicative mood? • Peace be with you. • Leave that dog alone. • Harold was late to his wedding.
Answer • Harold was late to his wedding. • This sentence makes a simple statement of fact. • The other two sentences expressed a wish (peace be with you) or gave a command (Leave that dog alone).
• Since the majority of English sentences express fact, you should not find it difficult to recognize the indicative mood.
Indicative Mood & Verb Tenses • The indicative mood employs common verb tenses: – Present: I see. – Past: I saw – Future: I will see. – Present Perfect: I have seen. – Past Perfect: I had seen. – Future Perfect: I shall (will) have seen.
• Most grammarians classify interrogative sentences, as well as statements of fact, as indicative. • An interrogative sentence, as you know, asks a question. • Example: Was Harold late to his wedding?
Which of the following sentences is in the indicative mood? • Eat those beets immediately. • Has he decided to start lifting weights? • Heaven help you.
Answer • Has he decided to start lifting weights? • Remember that questions employ indicative mood, just as do those that state facts.
Imperative
• Writers use the imperative mood to give commands or to make requests. • Example: Eat your beets. (command) • Example: Please forgive me. (request)
The “Understood” You • All imperative verbs are in the second person, present tense. • Writers generally omit the subject, you, of an imperative verb, but writers understand it as part of the sentence.
Which of the following sentences is in the imperative mood? • Step right this way. • You should go home now. • The general commanded his company to charge.
Answer • Step right this way. • This sentence makes a request. • The subject, you, is understood, just as it is in most imperative sentences. • The omission of you helps make imperative sentences easier to recognize.
Subjunctive
• The third of the three commonly recognized moods is the subjunctive.
What is subjunctive mood? • The subjunctive mood expresses wishes and suppositions contrary to fact. • Example: Peace be with you. (wish) • He speaks French as if he were a Frenchman. (supposition contrary to fact)
• In the second sentence, the main clause—He speaks French—is in the indicative because it states a fact. • The “as-if” clause uses the subjunctive because it expresses a condition contrary to fact: he is not really a Frenchman.
• When the dependent clause is subjunctive, the main clause is normally indicative. • This shift is a logical and necessary one and not considered a faulty shift in mood.
Which of the following tests employs the subjunctive? • Go and get me some cream and sugar. • When she awoke, she could remember every detail of her dream. • I wish I were a kid again.
Answer • I wish I were a kid again. • The dependent clause—(that) I were a kid again—expresses a wish and is in the subjunctive. • The main clause—I wish—asserts a fact and is in the indicative.
• In our day-to-day language use, the indicative has, to a large extent, replaced the subjunctive.
• However, writers continue having difficulty with the subjunctive because its few surviving uses require special verb forms.
• You should have little difficulty with the subjunctive once you know the following few forms.
Rule # 1 • The third person singular (he, she, it) of the present tense verb drops its –s or –es ending.
Application of Rule #1 • Therefore, although we would normally write “she leaves, ” the subjunctive that se drop the -s. • Example: The old man asked that she leave him in peace.
Rule # 2 • The verb to be requires special treatment. • In the subjunctive, the present tense is always be, not the normal am, is, or are. • Example: Peace be with you. (Not “Peace is with you. ”
Rule # 2, Continued: Past Tense of To Be • Similarly, in the subjunctive, the past tense is always were, never was. • Example: If I were a millionaire, I wouldn’t eat hamburger every night.
Advice • The past subjunctive of to be—always were —is the subjunctive form people most frequently use and misuse. • Therefore, you should pay particular attention to it.
Which of the following sentences employs the subjunctive correctly? • He be a very interesting person. • If he were not so lazy, he would go far. • We would not be talking about her if she was here.
Answer • If he were not so lazy, he would go far. • The if-clause makes a supposition contrary to the fact: he apparently is “so lazy. ” • The verb uses the correct past tense subjunctive—were.
• We correctly use subjunctive forms in several main situations. • The first two come naturally to native English-speakers.
Situations Requiring the Subjunctive 1. In a main clause expressing a wish: – God bless you. [not blesses] 2. In a that-clause expressing a request, a demand, a motion, or a formal resolution: – The teacher demanded that he leave the room. [not leaves] – Resolved: that this motion be tabled. [not is]
• Only two subjunctive uses are likely to cause you difficulty. • The first appears as # 2 on the previous slide. • If you wish to look back at it, press your keyboard’s “page up” key.
Rule # 3 3. In a that-clause expressing a wish – Example: He wishes that he were in India. (not was) Writers may often omit the that in sentences like the one above.
Rule # 4 Here is the other troublesome use: 4. In an if-clause expressing a condition contrary to fact that is impossible or highly improbable. – Even if he were a millionaire, she still would not marry him.
Remember. . . • The past tense of the verb to be is were, not was.
Caution • Not all if-clauses require the subjunctive. • You should use the indicative if the condition expressed by the if-clause is possible or probable. – The President stated that our forces would retaliate if the island was bombed.
Reminder • However, remember to use the subjunctive when the if-clause is clearly contrary to fact or purely hypothetical. • If I were President, I would not employ our forces to defend the island. • The person named as “I” is clearly not the President.
Which of the sentences below should employ the subjunctive? • If he was our father, he’d have a right to tell us what to do. • The traffic department decided that a motorist should be given a ticket if he was stopped for driving too slowly. • If I was caught without bus fare, I would simply walk home.
Answer • Only the sentence below states a supposition contrary to fact. • If he was our father, he’d have a right to tell us what to do.
Revised Sentence • The sentence should read as follows: • If he were our father, he’d have a right to tell us what to do.
Further Explanation • The remaining two sentences correctly used the indicative, rather than the subjunctive, because their if-clauses express possible or probable conditions. – The traffic department decided that a motorist should be given a ticket if he was stopped for driving too slowly. – If I was caught without bus fare, I would simply walk home.
• While the subjunctive is becoming increasingly uncommon in speech, in writing it still preserves the fine distinctions of meaning that make English a rich language.
• Places will always exist in your writing where you can and should use the subjunctive to good advantage.
Brief Review • Indicative--used to state a fact or ask a question • Imperative--used to give a command or make a request (in a main clause) • Subjunctive--used mainly to express wished and to make suppositions contrary to fact.
Question • Which of the following sentences is written entirely in the indicative mood? – Get me a basin and some hot water. – Silently the captain was wishing to retreat, but aloud he ordered his men to make ready for the attack. – Mr. Billings would be thoroughly likeable if he were not always telling such bad jokes.
Answer – Silently the captain was wishing to retreat, but aloud he ordered his men to make ready for the attack. • Though it mentions a wish and an order, the second sentence states fact. • It says nothing contrary to fact, nor does it give an order for the reader to do anything • Therefore, it is indicative.
Shifts in Mood
Word of Advice • Just as you should avoid needless shifts in subject, person, and tense, you should also avoid illogical shifts in mood.
A Correct Shift • As you have learned, a sentence containing a subjunctive if-clause or that-clause correctly shifts to the indicative in its main clause. • If I were you, I’d go on a diet. (subjunctive) (indicative)
Faulty Shift • However, faulty shifts in mood often involve the indicative and the imperative. – First, preheat the oven; then you should grease the cake pan. (shift from imperative to indicative)
Possible Revisions • All in the imperative: First, preheat the oven; then grease the cake pan. • All in the indicative: You should first preheat the oven; then you should grease the cake pan.
Remember. . . • Do not shift moods without reason.
Question: Which of the following sentences shifts mood without reason? • She requested that he darken her door no more. • Even though the air was warm, the water was too cold for swimming. • All students should assemble on the main quadrangle at ten o’clock, and don’t be late.
Answer • All students should assemble on the main quadrangle at six o’clock, and don’t be late. • The first clause is in the indicative and the second in the imperative.
Possible Revisions • All students should assemble on the main quadrangle promptly at six o’clock. • All students should assemble on the main quadrangle at six o’clock; they must not be late.
Summary • Grammatical mood indicates the manner in which the writer conceives of the sentence: that is, his idea as to whether the sentence states a fact, expresses a doubt, gives a command, or performs some other function.
• The verb or verbs in each sentence indicate the mood in which the sentence is written.
• When writing, we most frequently use the indicative. • The indicative makes statements of fact. • Examples: – John is going to Chicago. – Although I can knit, I never learned to sew.
More Indicative Sentences • Most grammarians classify interrogative sentences, as well as statements of fact, as indicative. • Example of an interrogative sentence: – Was Harold late to his wedding?
Imperative Mood • The imperative mood gives commands or makes requests. • Examples: – Eat your dinner. – Please forgive me.
The “Understood” You • All imperative verbs are in the second person, present tense. • The subject of an imperative verb—you—is usually omitted but is understood by the reader as part of the statement. • Example: Shut the door = (You) shut the door.
Subjunctive Mood • The subjunctive mood primarily expresses wishes and suppositions contrary to fact.
Subjunctive Forms • You should have little trouble with the subjunctive once you know the following few forms: 1. With third person singular subjects (he, she, it, or any noun for which one could substitute he, she, or it), present tense verbs drop the –s or –es ending: § The old man asked that she leave him in peace. (not leaves)
Subjunctive Forms, Continued 2. The verb to be: --The present tense (all persons) is be: Peace be [not is] with you. --The past tense (all persons) is were: If I were [not was] a millionaire, I wouldn’t have to eat hamburger every night.
Mood Shifts • Remember to avoid unnecessary shifts in mood. • These occur most commonly in sentences using indicative and imperative.
You have now finished the discussion of mood shifts. Please complete Power. Point worksheet # 39, and put it in your lab folder.
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