Typology of the category of mood

This category may be expressed lexically with the help of different words which reveal the attitude of the speaker to reality. In English such words as (maybe, probably, certainly) and modal verbs (can, may, must) and in russian (возможно, вероятно) and modal verbs (мочь, хотеть) and the category of modality, may be expressed grammatically in both languages, with the help of different Moods. The main form to express modality of reality in both languages, is Indicative Mood or изъявительное наклонение. It denotes an action as real going at some period of time.

In russian only one mood is used to express an action as unreal desirable or possible and that is subjunctive mood which is built analytically with the help partical бы and past form of the verb. In russian, subjunctive mood, may express an action in the past, present or future (хотел бы поехать завтра., вчера, сегодня) б besides, the meaning of condition in russian, may be expressed be a verb in singular, second person, imperative mood. In English, such cases are imposible (скажи ему не ходи – он не сделает) повелительное наклонение.

In English, modality of unreality, is expressed by 4 moods. Subjunctive 1, 2, suppositional, conditional.

Conditional mood is used in principal clauses of a complex sentence, like(if I were at home, I would help him)

Subjunctive 2 has present and past distinctions (if I came, if I had come). Subjunctive 1 doesn’t express the category of tense, person, number. It is used in poetry very often, commercials for stylisic purposes (be it so, long live ….)

Suppositional mood. It has no grammatical categories, it is built analytically. The verb should + Infinitive. (I suggest that he should go). In russian, subjunctive mood is used in such cases.

Imperative Mood. Expresses demand, request, order in both languages.It has the category of person and number. In russian, a verbs in the second person, singular and plural may express Imperative Mood synthetically (читай – читайте) But in english only 1 verb is used for singular and plural (read, write) First person in russian may be expressed by 2 forms, synthetical like (пойдем- поедем) and analytical (будем читать- будем писать) And in English only analytically (let’s go, let’s reda)