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Subjunctive Mood

1 min
C2
CEFR C2·other

Formula

It is essential / important / recommended
Formal subjunctive:
(without inflection)

Examples

Positive
It is crucial that she be informed immediately.
Negative
It is essential that they not be disturbed.
Question
Is it necessary that everyone attend the meeting?

Usage

  • •Expressing necessity, recommendation, or urgency
  • •Formal registers in academic, legal, and professional writing
  • •After certain verbs (suggest, insist, demand, recommend)

More Examples

  • The doctor insisted that he rest for a week.

    "Insist that + base verb" — no -s for third person

  • It is vital that all members be present.

    "Be" (not "is") in formal subjunctive

  • The judge demanded that the witness tell the truth.

    "Demand that + base verb" in legal context

Common Mistakes

  • ✗❌ "It is essential that she arrives immediately" → ✓ "…that she arrive immediately" (base verb, no -s).
  • ✗❌ "It is important that he is present" → ✓ "…that he be present" (use "be", not "is" in formal subjunctive).
  • ✗❌ "The committee suggested that they should leave" is acceptable but informal; ✓ "…that they leave" is the mandative subjunctive.

Tips

  • ✓In American English the mandative subjunctive is more common; in British English "should" is often used instead.
  • ✓Base verb (no -s, no inflection) for all persons: "It is important that he arrive on time" (not "arrives").

Advanced Notes

The mandative subjunctive ("I suggest he leave") is alive and well in American English formal writing but has largely been replaced by "should + infinitive" in British English — so register and variety awareness matter here. The bare base form for all persons ("that she be", "that they not interfere") is the main diagnostic: missing the third-person -s ("It is vital that he arrive") is the clearest signal you know the subjunctive. It appears most densely in legal, medical, and academic texts. The were-subjunctive ("If I were you…") is a related but distinct phenomenon; at C2, learners should handle both.

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Compare With

Conditionals (0, 1, 2, 3)(B2)Wish and If Only(C1)