1. Note the following idiomatic uses:—
a) With possum; as,—
possum multa dīcere, I might say much;
poteram multa dīcere, I might have said much ([§ 270], 2).
b) In such expressions as longum est, aequum est, melius est, difficile est, ūtilius est, and some others; as,—
longum est ea dīcere, it would be tedious to tell that;
difficile est omnia persequī, it would be difficult to enumerate everything.
The Subjunctive in Independent Sentences.
[272]. The Subjunctive is used in Independent Sentences to express something—
1. As willed—Volitive Subjunctive;
2. As desired—Optative Subjunctive;
3. Conceived of as possible—Potential Subjunctive.