Uses of the Subjunctive
At GCSE level, the most common use of the subjunctive is in clauses. A clause is just a
section of a sentence:
The man, although he was old, chased the boy to make him go away.
The man chased the boy is the main sentence
although he was old is a concessive clause
to make him go away is a purpose clause
So in this sentence there is the main sentence and two subordinate clauses.
Places where the subjunctive is commonly found are:
- purpose clauses (already covered)
- result clauses
- verbs of fearing
- time clauses
- with cum to suggest when or why
- indirect commands
- indirect questions
Result Clauses
A result clause (or consecutive clause) focuses on the outcome of an action:
- The horse was so big that it couldn’t fit in the stable.
- The girls were so clever that they passed their GCSEs.
- Augustus was so powerful that he ruled the whole Empire for many years.
You can tell if a sentence has a result clause because:
1) there is a signpost word in the first half of the sentence. Words like tam (so) or adeo
(so much, so greatly) can indicate that a result clause is coming up.
2) ut + the subjunctive is used in the second half of the sentence. The imperfect
subjunctive is used to describe a result in the past.
hic equus tam celer erat ut multa praemia vinceret - this horse was so fast that it won
many prizes
Some other signpost words that come up are:
tantus - so big
tot - so many
talis - such, of such a kind
equus talis erat ut multa praemia vinceret - the horse was such (of such a kind that) it
won many prizes
tot milites ad forum cucurrerunt ut vias complerent - so many soldiers ran to the form
that they filled the streets
At GCSE level, the most common use of the subjunctive is in clauses. A clause is just a
section of a sentence:
The man, although he was old, chased the boy to make him go away.
The man chased the boy is the main sentence
although he was old is a concessive clause
to make him go away is a purpose clause
So in this sentence there is the main sentence and two subordinate clauses.
Places where the subjunctive is commonly found are:
- purpose clauses (already covered)
- result clauses
- verbs of fearing
- time clauses
- with cum to suggest when or why
- indirect commands
- indirect questions
Result Clauses
A result clause (or consecutive clause) focuses on the outcome of an action:
- The horse was so big that it couldn’t fit in the stable.
- The girls were so clever that they passed their GCSEs.
- Augustus was so powerful that he ruled the whole Empire for many years.
You can tell if a sentence has a result clause because:
1) there is a signpost word in the first half of the sentence. Words like tam (so) or adeo
(so much, so greatly) can indicate that a result clause is coming up.
2) ut + the subjunctive is used in the second half of the sentence. The imperfect
subjunctive is used to describe a result in the past.
hic equus tam celer erat ut multa praemia vinceret - this horse was so fast that it won
many prizes
Some other signpost words that come up are:
tantus - so big
tot - so many
talis - such, of such a kind
equus talis erat ut multa praemia vinceret - the horse was such (of such a kind that) it
won many prizes
tot milites ad forum cucurrerunt ut vias complerent - so many soldiers ran to the form
that they filled the streets
