Anyone who �s studied a foreign language will be glad that English has almost entirely lost the subjunctives it once had. And because English has so few inflections, it �s often hard to spot many subjunctives. Grammarians have a hard time defining subjunctive; don �t worry if you don �t follow.

Unlike the indicative mood, which indicates that something is true, the subjunctive expresses a wish, a command, or a condition contrary to fact. Archaic English is full of subjunctives, as in "Would that it were" and "Thou shalt not."

The English subjunctive still shows up in a few places, of which the condition contrary to fact is most common:

• Conditions contrary to fact: "If I were a rich man." (I teach English; Lord knows I ain �t rich.) We use were instead of the expected is, am, or are: "If this were any heavier [but it �s not � a condition contrary to fact], I couldn �t lift it"; "If she were to say that [but she �s not], I �d leave."
• Suppositions: "If I were to tell you, I �d have to kill you"; "Be that as it may."
• Wishes: "I wish I had an Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator"; "I wish she were six inches taller."
• Demands and suggestions: "I insisted that he leave"; "I suggested he leave."
• Necessity or importance: "It �s essential that he arrive on time."