Subjunctive Mood

Moods is the way to express the attitude of the speaker to what is being said. Subjunctive means subordinate or dependent. A subjunctive mood expresses something that is not fact like possibilities, doubts, wishes, desires, suggestions, or conditions. We use subjunctive when we
• want something to happen,
• imagine something happening, or
• anticipate that something will happen.


[1] EXPRESSING DESIRE/SUGGESTION

There are two common forms of subjunctive used to express desire or suggestion.

VERB + THAT + SUBJECT + VERB

The common verbs used in this structure are: ask, command, demand, insist, propose, recommend, require, suggest, urge, warn, etc. For examples,

• The teacher suggested that she study harder.
• The doctor recommended that he not eat salty food.
• My mom insists that I get up early.
• We urged that he deliver the raw materials on time.

Note: We also use "should + infinitive" instead of subjunctive.

ADJECTIVE + THAT + SUBJECT + VERB


These adjectives are: critical, important, essential, necessary, vital, etc. For examples,

• It is important that you study hard.
• It is vital that students not cheat during exams.
• It is essential that she be on time.
• It is necessary that he wear helmet.


[2] EXPRESSING POSSIBILITIES

Subjunctive mood is used to make prediction/assumption; for examples,

• It may rain tomorrow.
• We will go on holiday.
• All of these problems could happen.
• It's going to be a tough job.

Subjunctive mood is used to express conditions; for examples,

• If you heat the water to 100 degree, it boils.
• If you don't breath, you die.
• If you park here, the police will fine you.
• If I have money, I will lend you some.


[3] EXPRESSING A CONTRARY TO THE FACT

Subjunctive mood is used to express the contrary to the present with the following structures.

- If + past simple
- Wish /if only+ past simple
- As if / as though + past simple

For examples,
• If I were rich, I would buy that school.
• I wish I were able to finish my work on time.
• He speaks as if he were my boss.
• I doubt if you would go with us.

Subjunctive mood is used to express the contrary past with the following structures.

- If + past perfect simple
- Wish/if only + past perfect simple
- As if/as though + past perfect simple
• If I had studied hard, I would not have failed my test.
• Had he been more careful, the accident would not have happened.
• I wish I had not spoken such stupid words.
• He behaved as if he had not done anything wrong.

Wish or If only

1. Wish / if only + would + infinitive

It is used to show complaints about a situation; the speaker also expects a change in the future.

For examples,

I wish you wouldn't arrive so late all the time. [You usually come late.]

I wish you wouldn’t drive so fast.[Drinking so much was not good, but you did drink.]

2. Wish / if only + past simple

It is used to show a state that a speaker is not satisfied with something presently and she wants to change it. For examples,

I wish the room were colder. [The room is hot.]

If only I was not fat, I would buy these clothes. [You are fat. The clothes do not fit you.]

3. Wish / if only + past perfect simple

It is used to express regret about past actions (the speaker wants to change the past). For examples,

I wish I hadn't drink so much. [I drank a lot then.]

If only I had studied hard, I would have passed the exams. [I didn't study hard, and I failed in the exams.]

NOTE: Wish + to do something = means "would like/ want" 

For example,

I wish to finish the assignment today. = I would like /want to finish the assignment today.

As if or As though

1. As if / as though + present simple:

It is used to express something or someone seems like. For examples,
It looks as if it might rain. [The sky turns dark, and it will possibly rain.]
He works on the computer as if/though he's skillful. [He can do things, and he probably can fix it.]

2. As if / as though + past simple:

It is used to express something is presently unreal. For examples,
She tells me as if/though she knew the story. [She obviously doesn't know the story.]
He walks as if/though he were an old man. [But in fact he's a young man.]
Compare the following two sentences:
He looks as if/though he's sick. [He is sick.]
He talks as if/though he were sick. [He's actually well.]

3. As if / as though + past perfect simple:

It is used to express something was unreal in the past. For examples,
He looked as if/though he had done something. [He didn’t do anything wrong.]
They responded as if/though the problems were not serious. [The problems were serious.]

Only if

Only if is used expresses the meaning of "in case" or "only in the case". You need to differentiate between "only if" and "if only".

For examples,
We will cancel the picnic only if it rains. [if there is storm, sunny, windy…., we will have a picnic. So, the cause that can make us to cancel the plan is only rain.]
Call me only if your cold gets worse. [Only when your cold get worse, you can call me. ]
Only if everybody agreed would I accept this position. [I would accept this position only if everybody agreed.]

Third Conditional

Form
If + past perfect simple, subject + would + have + verb 3 (past participle)
Note:
- If + past simple = i.e. unreal past situation/condition
- subject + would + have + verb 3 = i.e. impossible result
- You can use some modals like could instead of would.


Usage

We use third conditional to talk about unreal (not true) past situation(s) and its impossible result(s).

For examples,
If I had studied hard, I would have passed the exam. [= I didn't study, and I failed the exam. ]
If she had come to the party, she would have met Sophal. [= She didn't come, and she didn’t meet John. ]

ការប្រើៈ យើងប្រើ Third conditional ដើម្បី បង្ហាញពីលក្ខខណ្ឌ ដែលផ្ទុយនឹងការពិត (ក្នុងអតីត កាល) និង លទ្ធផលដែលមិនអាចនឹងកើតមានឡើង (ឬលទ្ធផលដែលផ្ទុយពីការពិតក្នុងអតីត កាល)។  វាជា ការ បង្ហាញនូវភាពសោកស្តាយនូវទង្វើ ឬស្ថានភាពមួយក្នុងអតីតកាល។

Second Conditional

Form
If + past simple, sub + would + verb 1 (verb present)
Note:
- If + past simple = i.e. unreal present situation/condition
- subject + would +  verb 1 = i.e. probable result
- You can use some modals like could instead of would.



Usage

We use second conditional to talk about unreal (not true) present situation(s) and its probable result(s).

For examples,
If I had enough money, I would buy a big house. [ = Now I don’t have money. ]
If I were a writer, I would write about your love story. [= I am not a writer now. ]

ការប្រើៈ យើងប្រើ Second conditional បង្ហាញពីលក្ខខណ្ឌ ឬ ស្ថានភាពមួយដែលមិនពិត នៅ​ពេល បច្ចុប្បន្ន និង លទ្ធផលដែលស្ទើរតែគ្មានឱកាសអាចកើតឡើង (ឬ មិនទំនងនឹងកើតឡើង)។​   អាចនិយាយម្យ៉ាង​ទៀតថា បង្ហាញពី បំណងប្រាថ្នា ឬ ការស្រមើស្រមៃ និងលទ្ធផលដែល​មិនទំនង​នឹងកើតឡើង។