Grammatically, the subjunctive is a verb mood, not a verb tense. Most sentences use the indicative mood; the subjunctive in English has fairly restricted uses. Often, subjunctive forms don't look any ...

One of the most fascinating things about language is that we can use it so well, so expertly, without understanding how we do it. The following two sentences are perfect examples. If the burglar was ...

After a full-dress review of the subjunctive in the preceding chapters, this form of the English language should no longer hold any terrors for us. With a clearer understanding of its uses and ...

Use the subjunctive when a person wants someone else to do something, eg, I want him to go home. It can also be used to express thoughts, possibility or necessity. vouloir que to want (someone to do ...

In my last column, I wrote about the importance of the subjunctive in Spanish and provided one way to help you understand it (TT,May 25). I suggested that you become aware that the subjunctive exists ...

It is often bemoaned in Britain that English is going to pieces—and Americans are generally to blame. Whether you call it decline or not, the moaners are on to something: America has indeed produced ...