A. In principal sentences.
Wish and command (often nearly equivalent to the imperative):—þæs him sīe wuldor and lof ā būtan ęnde (therefore let there be to him praise and glory ever without end); ne hē ealu ne drince nǣfre oþþe wīn (nor shall he ever drink ale or wine).
B. In dependent sentences.
The chief cases are the following:—
(1) In indirect narrative and question: sēo cwēn sæġde þæt hiere nǣre be healfum dǣle ġe·sæġd be Salomones mǣrþo (the queen said that she had not been told about Solomon's glory by half); ic āsciġe hwǣr sēo offrung sīe (I ask where the offering is); męnn woldon sċēawian hū hē lǣġe (men
wished to see how he lay). When the statement in the indirect narration is perfectly certain in itself, and not merely accepted on the authority of the speaker, it is put in the indicative:—hē hiere sæġde on hwǣm his miht wæs (he told her what his strength consisted in).
(2) After verbs of desiring and commanding:—
þæs ic ġe·wilniġe and ġe·wysċe mid mōde þæt ic āna ne be·līfe æfter mīnum lēofum þeġnum (that I desire and wish with heart that I may not remain alone after my dear thanes).
(3) To express purpose:—þȳ lǣs ġē þone hwǣte ā·wyrtwalien (lest ye root up the wheat);—Dryhten ās·tāg niþer, tō bǣm þæt hē ġe·sāwe þā burg (the Lord descended, in order that he might see the city).
(4) To express result:—þū næfst þā mihte þæt þū mæġe him wiþ·standan (thou hast not the power that thou canst withstand him).