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English speakers often start by jumping straight to conclusions with a subject and a verb. While it’s common to omit the subject in Korean, English speakers usually don’t skip the subject unless it’s really unnecessary. However, in English, the verb is the boss. Without a verb, a sentence isn’t complete. The verb also makes English expressions more nuanced and richer through its changes.

The 5 Properties of Verbs.

In English, verbs change according to five different aspects, creating precise and varied descriptions. Verbs change based on tense, person, and number. Singular third-person verbs need an -s at the end, and verbs for past events need a -d. There are also changes for passive and active voices. In English, this is called voice. There’s another variation in how verbs are used, which is called mood. These five are referred to as ‘The 5 Properties of Verbs’ in English grammar.

The 5 Properties of Verbs (A Simple Breakdown with Examples)

This simple breakdown of the 5 properties of verbs has plenty of examples and infographics to help you understand everything you need to know.

Just as verbs take different forms like future or present tense depending on the tense, to express the desired mood, one must use verbs in different forms. Mood is broadly divided into three types: indicative mood, imperative mood, and subjunctive mood.

The difficulty begins here. Translating mood as a ‘law’ is problematic, especially translating subjunctive mood as ‘conditional’ because nowhere in the term ‘subjunctive mood’ does it inherently imply assumption or condition. Yet, translating it as ‘conditional’ certainly introduces the potential for misunderstanding.

The Oxford Dictionary defines the subjunctive verb form as being related to expressing what is imagined, wished, or possible.

“Relating to or denoting a mood of verbs expressing what is imagined or wished or possible.”

It means it is used to express events that have not actually occurred or to express wishes, desires, expectations, etc. Because it talks about things that aren’t as if they were, assumption gets involved. Now the meaning of ‘assumption’ begins to appear in the subjunctive mood. Let’s reduce confusion by using the term ‘subjunctive mood’ as it is.

Regardless of the process, using words in the subjunctive mood can sound conversational or very formal.

May the Force be with you.

The somewhat strange-sounding line, “May the Force be with you,” was said by General Dodonna before the Death Star battle in <A New Hope>. Many people believe Obi-Wan was the creator of the above quote, but the expressions he mainly used before this farewell were as follows:

“The Force will be with you…always.”
“Luke, the Force will be with you.”
“Remember, the Force will be with you always.”

Subjunctive Mood

Before we look at more examples of the subjunctive mood, let’s first summarize the pattern of verb usage in this mood. After all, the use of verbs is key.

First, in the subjunctive mood, the tense used is one step behind than in the indicative mood. This is the same content organized in the if conditional clause.

Second, the present tense uses the base form of the verb without changes for number or person, and thus ‘is’, ‘are’, ‘am’ are replaced with ‘be’.

Third, when using a past form of the verb, just use the past tense but only ‘were’ is used, not ‘was’.

The tense of “May the Force be with you,” although future tense like Obi-Wan’s “The Force will be with you,” uses the present tense stepping back one tense and uses ‘be’ instead of ‘is’.

1. If conditional clauses

As explored in the phrase “If you build it, he will come,” the if conditional clause uses the subjunctive mood. The tense should be one step back from that of the indicative mood, but the base form of the verb is used without change. This means even with a third-person subject, ‘were’ is used instead of ‘was’.

If I were a rich man… – From Fiddler on the Roof (1971).

ALADDIN: Hey, if I were as rich as you, I could afford some manners! – Aladdin (1992)

If he were a better driver, he wouldn’t have crashed. – From Back to the Future (1985)

Garth Algar: Benjamin is nobody’s friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he’d be pralines and dick. – Wayne’s World (1992)

2. Wishing with “wish that ~”

The form “I wish + that ~” is used to express a desire for something that isn’t real to be true, often employing the subjunctive mood.

Jack Twist: I wish I knew how to quit you. – Brokeback Mountain (2005)

This means, “I don’t want to leave you now, but I have to.” It’s a current story, but the past verb form ‘knew’ is used. Since wish uses the subjunctive mood, it applies the principle of (Subject + wish + one tense back). Let’s see more examples.

DR. HANNIBAL LECTER: I do wish we could chat longer, but I’m having an old friend for dinner. – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (Orion, 1991)

Old Terry: I wish I could go back to the beginning of the season, put some money on the Cubbies! – Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Doc: I wish I’d never invented that infernal time machine. It’s caused nothing but disaster. – Back to the Future Part III (1990)

In the example from Back to the Future, Doc speaks about wishing something in the past had not happened, hence the principle of (Subject + wish + one tense back) applies, leading to the use of past perfect tense.

Using the verb ‘be’ as in the following two examples makes the subjunctive mood more apparent. It’s a current story, but it is expressed with a verb one tense back in the past, and since it’s the verb ‘be,’ ‘were’ is used instead of ‘was’.

I wish I were somewhere else right now. – From Casablanca (1942)

Well sir, all I can say is if I were a bell, I’d be ringing! – Guys and Dolls (1950)

There are also slightly modified expressions where ‘were’ is used instead of ‘was’.

Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford): At that moment, I had the most desperate wish that she were dead. – Presumed Innocent (1990)

Subjunctive Mood: Explanation and Examples

The subjunctive mood is the verb form used to explore a hypothetical situation. It typically follows a wish, a demand, or a suggestion. The subjunctive mood is also common after terms like ‘essential that,’ ‘important that,’ ‘imperative that,’ and ‘necessary that.’

3. Verbs that induce the subjunctive mood

Verbs like command, order, suggest, recommend, ask, insist, and demand often lead to expressions in the subjunctive mood after a “that” clause. Again, it’s not mandatory to use the subjunctive mood, but using it allows for richer expressions.

All we ask of a president is that he be likeable. We seem to have given up on the Pentagon’s corrupt use of our tax dollars. (Author Donella Meadows)

Saddam Hussein systematically violated every UN resolution that demanded he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons. (US politician Henry Waxman)

Don’t make election popularity a matter of which candidate hires the most creative propagandists. Insist that it be a running conversation with the public. (Actor Ron Howard)

<Source: Subjunctive Mood: Explanation and Examples (grammar-monster.com)>

4. Adjectives that induce the subjunctive mood

The following adjectives can lead a clause with “that” and often induce the subjunctive mood: “important,” “necessary,” “imperative,” “crucial,” and “essential.”

It is imperative that we find the missing artifact. – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).

It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. (Political activist Thomas Paine)

5. May the Force be with you

The subject of the subjunctive mood seems not to be easy even for native English speakers. This is also true for the interpretation of “May the Force be with you.” This sentence could simply be thought of as an optative sentence, as learned in school. An optative sentence is easily formed by placing the modal verb ‘May’ in front and using the structure <May + subject + base form of the verb>.

However, it is said that while the optative mood exists in ancient Greek and others, it does not exist in English. Therefore, interpreting “May the Force be with you” as in the subjunctive mood seems to be a method as well. The above example, as often used by Obi-Wan, is an expression about the future. It’s an optative sentence that wishes for something that isn’t there to be there. The Force will be with you.

Thus, to express this sentence in the subjunctive mood, the tense should not be future but present. The Force be with you. Therefore, it could be interpreted differently whether the ‘be’ in “May the Force be with you” is the ‘be’ of the subjunctive mood or just the base form of the verb following the modal verb ‘may’. This might indeed be up to the listener’s perception.

May the Force be with you, if you Try to Figure out the Subjunctive Mood

Que la Force soit avec vous. This is a phrase I’ve heard a lot lately, being the French translation of the classic Star Wars salutation/blessing May the Force be with you. This won’t be…