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III. The Suppositional Mood
The Suppositional Mood describes a desirable, necessary action from the point of view of the speaker:
It is necessary that he should come in time.
It represents an action as problematic but not as contradicting the reality. It is used to express order, suggestion, demand, request, supposition, purpose.
It has 2 tenses: Present and Past:
· The present form: should + Indefinite Infinitive (refers the action to the present or future):
It is requested that all should be ready by 6 o'clock.
· The past form: should + Perfect Infinitive (refers the action to the past):
He suggested that the work should have been finished.
The Suppositional Mood is used in different subordinate clauses of complex sentences:
1) in subject clauses after it is (was) necessary(essential), important, only right, curious, funny, good, better, best, cruel, shameful, a happy coincidence, recommended) that; it becomes (became) a custom, it seems (seemed) to me prophetic, how wonderful, what a shame, how strange, etc [3; 83]:
It is important that you should speak only English at our lessons.
It is said that you should have heard of it on the day of your wedding.
It shocked him that he should have been so blind.
It was suggested that somebody should inform the police.
What a shame that he should say so.
2) in predicative clauses after his (the) aim (wish, desire, idea, suggestion) is (was):
His aim was that his enemies should be discredited.
His condition was that I should join one of the clubs.
3) in attributive clauses after the nouns suggestion, proposal, demand, order, requirement, recommendation, decision,etc. :
They supported the proposal that a committee should be appointed to deal with the matter.
2) in an object subordinate clause after the verbs of order, suggestion and recommendation:
The commander ordered that the soldiers should cross the river.
3) in an object subordinate clause introduced by the conjunction lest (как бы не) after the verbs of fear: to fear, to be terrified, to be afraid:
The mother was afraid lest her children should lose the way.
She fears lest her secret should be discovered.
I was anxious lest he should forget about it.
4) in an adverbial subordinate clause of purpose introduced by the conjunction “lest”:
We shall start at 7 o’clock lest we should miss the train. (What for?)
The girl whispered these words lest somebody should overhear.
5) in an adverbial subordinate clause of concession introduced by the conjunctions though, whatever, wherever, however, whoever, whenever:
Though it should rain, we shall have to go.
Wherever you should meet him, invite him to your house.
He will not convince us however hard he should try.
May and mightare also possible here:
No matter how he might try he couldn’t do it.
Though he may have been suspicious he gave no sign.
Whichever of the roads we may take, the distance will be great.
So, if the action refers to the present or future the quasi-subjunctive form may + infinitiveis used in the subordinate clause. If the action refers to the past may + perfect infinitiveor might + infinitive is used [3; 94].
6) in adverbial subordinate clauses of purpose introduced by so that:
She spoke in a low voice so that the baby shouldn’t wake up.
Might/could may be used here as well:
I spoke to them so that they might tell me the truth.
7) in an adverbial subordinate clause of real condition introduced by the conjunction if [17]:
If you should meet him, tell him to come.
Should you meet him, tell him to come.
Should it rain, take an umbrella.
The Suppositional Mood is characteristic of British English. For American English it is more common to use Subjunctive I instead of The Suppositional Mood.Subjunctive I and the Suppositional Mood are differentiated only by their form but their meaning is the same.