Basic Details
Word: Subjunctive
Part of Speech: Noun; adjective
Meaning: In grammar, the form of a verb used for wishes, suggestions and things that are not real, as in 'If I were you' or 'I suggest that he leave early'.
How to Spell Subjunctive
Syllables: sub - junc - tive
Tricky part: The middle is junc with a u and a c, not jung or junk. Students also write the ending as tiv or tieve.
Watch out for: subjuctive, subjunktive, subjunctiv, subjenctive
Memory tip: Split it into sub + junc + tive. Junction is a road where things join; subjunctive has the same junc, and ends like adjective.
Usage Examples
Example 1: 'If I were a bird, I would fly to Ladakh' uses the subjunctive.
Example 2: Our English teacher says the subjunctive is rare in everyday speech.
Example 3: 'God save the King' is an old example of the subjunctive.
Fun Fact
The subjunctive is used far more in languages such as Spanish and French than in modern English, where it survives mostly in set phrases.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the correctly spelt word:
1. conjuction 2. pronown 3. subjunctive 4. preposision
a) a word showing position, such as on or under
b) a word used in place of a noun
c) a verb form for wishes or unreal situations
d) a joining word such as and or but
Show answer
c) a verb form for wishes or unreal situations. Conjunction has an n before ction, preposition ends in tion and pronoun ends in oun, so subjunctive is the correct one.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
subj_nct_ve
a) a, i
b) u, i
c) u, e
d) o, i
Show answer
b) u, i. The second syllable is junc, as in junction, and the ending is tive.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence and choose the word they make:
Our grammar lesson today was on the vtiunbcjuse mood and how we use it in wishes.
a) subjunctive
b) subjective
c) conjunctive
d) subjection
Show answer
a) subjunctive. Subjective has no n or second u, and conjunctive and subjection need an o, which the jumble lacks.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sentence uses the subjunctive?
a) If I were you, I would rest.
b) I was tired yesterday.
c) They will come tomorrow.
d) She is reading a book.
Show answer
a) If I were you, I would rest.
2. You are most likely to meet the word subjunctive in a lesson on ____.
a) chemistry
b) music
c) geography
d) grammar
Show answer
d) grammar
