Subjunctive Mood
Build your vocabulary with practical examples
After demand / suggest / insist verbs
suggest he be
/səˈdʒest hiː biː/
I suggest he be on time for once.
demand that she
/dɪˈmɑːnd ðæt ʃiː/
They demanded that she apologise immediately.
insist that we
/ɪnˈsɪst ðæt wiː/
He insisted that we stay for dinner.
recommend they
/ˌrekəˈmend ðeɪ/
I recommend they take a different route.
After it is + adjective + that
essential that
/ɪˈsenʃəl ðæt/
It is essential that everyone arrive on time.
important that
/ɪmˈpɔːrtənt ðæt/
It is important that he understand the risks.
vital that she
/ˈvaɪtəl ðæt ʃiː/
It is vital that she sign the document today.
crucial that
/ˈkruːʃəl ðæt/
It is crucial that the team work as one.
Fixed Subjunctive Expressions
Long live
/lɒŋ lɪv/
Long live the king!
God save
/ɡɒd seɪv/
God save the Queen.
Be that as it may
/biː ðæt əz ɪt meɪ/
Be that as it may, the rules still apply.
Heaven forbid
/ˈhevən fərˈbɪd/
Heaven forbid that you should be late!
Were-subjunctive (formal hypothetical)
If I were
/ɪf aɪ wɜːr/
If I were you, I would reconsider.
Were he to
/wɜːr hiː tə/
Were he to apologise, all would be forgiven.
as if she were
/əz ɪf ʃiː wɜːr/
She acts as if she were the boss.