Past Subjunctive
The Past Subjunctive in English is used to talk about hypothetical, unreal, or contrary-to-fact situations in the present or future. It is most commonly seen with the verb to work or to be in its special subjunctive form.
Mood:
The Past Subjunctive uses the subjunctive mood, which expresses hypothetical or imaginary situations that are not true in reality.
Usage:
- To describe unreal situations in the present or future:
If I worked less, I’d have more free time. - To express wishes about the present or future:
I wish she worked here now. - To suggest hypothetical outcomes:
If he worked faster, we could finish today. - In formal or literary expressions:
If this worked, we would be prepared.
Formation:
- For most verbs, the past subjunctive is identical to the simple past form.
- For to be, the form is always were for all subjects (formal/subjunctive form).
- In modern informal English, "was" often replaces "were" for first and third person singular, but this is non-standard in formal contexts.
Examples with "to work":
| Person | Subjunctive Form |
|---|---|
| I | worked |
| You | worked |
| He/She | worked |
| We | worked |
| They | worked |
Examples with "to be":
| Person | Subjunctive Form |
|---|---|
| I | were |
| You | were |
| He/She | were |
| We | were |
| They | were |
Common Triggers:
- if clauses describing unreal conditions: if I worked, if he were
- wish + clause: I wish you worked here.
- as if / as though clauses: He speaks as if he worked here for years.
- suppose / supposing: Suppose it worked—what would happen next?
Examples:
- If I worked in Paris, I’d visit the Eiffel Tower every weekend.
- She wishes she worked fewer hours.
- He acts as though he worked in management.
- Suppose it worked—how would we expand the project?
Notes:
- In modern spoken English, the past subjunctive often overlaps with the indicative past, except in the verb to be, where were for all subjects is the main marker.
- American English tends to preserve were in formal writing; in British English, it’s also common in formal registers but often replaced with the indicative in casual speech.
