| INDICATIVE PRESENT OF BE | INDICATIVE PAST OF BE | ||
| I am | we are | I was | we were |
| thou art | you are | thou wert or wast | you were |
| he (she, it) is | they are | he (she, it) was | they were |
| SUBJUNCTIVE PRESENT OF BE | SUBJUNCTIVE PAST OF BE | ||
| If I be | If we be | If I were | If we were |
| If thou be | If you be | If thou were | If you were |
| If he (she, it) be | If they be | If he (she, it) were | If they were |
If is used only as an example of the conjunctions on which the subjunctive depends. Other conjunctions may be used, or the verb may precede the subject.
Note.—It will be noticed that thou art and thou wast, etc., have been used in the second person singular. Strictly speaking, these are the proper forms to be used here, even though you are and you were, etc., are customarily used in addressing a single person.
In the subjunctive of be, it will be noted that the form be is used throughout the present tense; and the form were throughout the past tense.
In other verbs the subjunctive, instead of having the s-form in the third person singular of the present tense, has the name-form, or the same form as all the other forms of the present tense; as, indicative, he runs, she sees, it seems, he has; subjunctive, if he run, though she see, lest it seem, if he have.
Note.—An examination of the model conjugations under §77 will give a further understanding of the forms of the subjunctive.
60. Use of Indicative and Subjunctive. The indicative mode would be properly used in the following sentence, when the statement is regarded as true: If that evidence is true, then he is a criminal. Similarly: If he is rich, he ought to be charitable. Most directly declarative statements are put in the indicative mode.
But when the sense of the statement shows uncertainty in the speaker's mind, or shows that the condition stated is regarded as contrary to fact or as untrue, the subjunctive is used. Note the two sentences following, in which the conditions are properly in the subjunctive: If those statements be true, then all statements are true, Were I rich, I might be charitable.
The subjunctive is usually preceded by the conjunctions, if, though, lest, although, or the verb precedes the subject. But it must be borne in mind that these do not always indicate the subjunctive mode. The use of the subjunctive depends on whether the condition is regarded as a fact or as contrary to fact, certain or uncertain.
It should be added that the subjunctive is perhaps going out of use; some of the best writers no longer use its forms. This passing of the subjunctive is to be regretted and to be discouraged, since its forms give opportunity for many fine shades of meaning.