Subjunctive Mood Verbs

2013

What Is the Subjunctive Mood?

• You’ve already learned 2 moods of Latin verbs: – 1. the indicative mood, used for statements of fact and asking questions – 2. the imperative mood, used for commands

Subjunctive Mood

• • • The subjunctive mood gives more of the speaker’s or writer’s opinion or attitude toward the truth of a statement.

It can be used independently, as a main verb.

It’s often used in dependent clauses, too.

Subjunctive Tenses

• • • • We’ve learned 6 tenses of Latin verbs.

The subjunctive only has 4 tenses!

It also has active/passive voice.

Tenses: – Present – Imperfect – Perfect – Pluperfect

There is no such thing as the future or future perfect subjunctive.

Present Tense Subjunctive

• • The present tense subjunctive uses the same personal endings as regular verbs (swap out “m” for “o” in 1 st person singular): ACTIVE VOICE: – M – S – T -MUS -TIS -NT PASSIVE VOICE: -R -MUR -RIS -MINI -TUR -NTUR

Present Tense Subjunctive

• • Since present tense subjunctive uses the same personal endings, something else has to change to make it different from regular present tense.

It’s all in the VOWELS!

Pick Your Mnemonic Device:

• • • • • We Beat A Liar She Wears A Tiara The Beans At Brian’s Let’s Eat Caviar!

She Reads A Diary

-E -EA -A -IA-

1 st Conjugation: “A” changes to “E” amo, amare • • • amo amas amat amamus amant

amem ames amet amemus ametis ament

2 nd Conjugation: “E” changes to “EA” moneo, monere • • • moneo monemus monet monent

moneam moneamus moneas moneat moneatis moneant

3 rd • • • rego regit Conjugation: “E” changes to “A” rego, regere regimus regitis regunt

regam regas regat regamus regatis regant

4 th • • • munio munit Conjugation: “I” changes to “IA” munio, munire munimus munitis muniunt

muniam munias muniat muniamus muniatis muniant

So…what does it do?

• • A common independent use of the present subjunctive is for something called the

volitive subjunctive.

(remember “volo” for “wish/want”?) It expresses the speakers wish, or desire, that something be done.

Volitive Subjunctive

• • • Let them prepare dinner. OR They should prepare dinner. Cenam par

e

nt. (paro, parare: prepare) Let’s/let us explore the forest. Silvam explor

e

mus. (exploro, explorare) Ne silvam explor

e

mus.

Let’s not explore the forest.

Volitive Subjunctive

• • • • The volitive subjunctive is translated by “let” or sometimes “should.” The negative is “ne” (not “non”).

It works as a main verb.

Other names for volitive: hortatory (for 1 st person plural “let’s…”), jussive (from “iubeo: to order”)

Practice!

• Write the present tense subjunctive charts for the following verbs: – porto, portare – doceo, docere – pono, ponere – audio, audire