Participle two

- The car broken, we had to walk.

- We saw him flogged.

6) What is the grammatical category of mood?

A category of mood is a very general, abstract grammatical meaning expressed by finite verbal forms. It is the meaning which shows the speaker’s attitude to the described situation. The forms of moods show whether the speaker presents the described situation as:

· REAL (= fact)

· UNREAL (= non-fact)

According to this dichotomy, grammarians divide the moods into two principal types:

· DIRECT moods

· OBLIQUE moods.

Traditionally, grammarians distinguish THREE moods:

· the indicative mood [изъявительное наклонение]

· the imperative mood [повелительное наклонение]

· the subjunctive mood [сослагательное наклонение]

The forms of the indicative mood present the action as REAL (as a fact). E.g. I work a lot. Such forms can also be called forms of the DIRECT mood.

The forms of the subjunctive mood present the action as UNREAL (as a non-fact). E.g. I would work a lot. Such forms can also be called forms of the OBLIQUE moods.

The forms of the imperative mood present the action as desired by the speaker. E.g. Work! Some grammarians refer the forms of this mood to the direct moods, some refer them to oblique moods.

Not all grammarians distinguish these three moods. For example, Л.С. Бархударов distinguishes TWO moods:

· the indicative mood [изъявительное наклонение]

· the imperative mood [повелительное наклонение]

Let us take a simple classification of subjunctive moods given by А. Смирницкий. He distinguishes FOUR varieties of subjunctive moods:

1. Subjunctive One

2. Subjunctive Two

3. The conditional mood

4. The suppositional mood

The forms of Subjunctive One are homonymous to the bare infinitive (the infinitive without the particle to). In this, the forms of Subjunctive One are similar to the forms of the imperative mood.

The difference between the forms Subjunctive One andthe imperative mood is that:

The imperative mood forms are used in SIMPLE sentences in which there is NO SUBJECT. E.g.: Do it at once!

Subjunctive One forms can be used:

§ in SIMPLE sentences in which the subject IS PRESENT. E.g. Long live our friendship!

§ in CLAUSES (here the subject is also present). E.g. He suggests that Henry do it at once. It is necessary that Henry do it at once.

The forms of the SUPPOSITIONAL mood include the auxiliary SHOULD. These forms are synonymous to the forms of Subjunctive One and can be used in CLAUSES in the same positions with the same meaning. E.g. He suggests that Henry do it at once. = He suggests that Henry SHOULD do it at once. It is necessary that Henry do it at once. = It is necessary that Henry SHOULD do it at once.

The forms of Subjunctive Two are homonymous to:

1. the Past Simple

2. the Past Perfect.

Such forms are used in:

3. clauses of unreal condition. E.g. If I knew about it… If I had known about it…

4. in sentences starting with If only…, Oh if…, I wish…. E.g.: If only I had known about it! Oh if you were not so cruel! I wish Tom called tomorrow! I wish Tom had called yesterday!

The forms of the CONDITIONAL mood are homonymous to the forms of Future-in-the Past. E.g. Sam would help us. Ted would have helped us. Such forms are used in:

5. simple sentences. E.g.: Sam would help us. Ted would have helped us.

6. complex sentences. E.g.: Sam would help us if we asked. Ted would have helped us if we had asked.

We have described the system of subjunctive moods given by А.И. Смирницкий. Л.С. Бархударов believes that the English verb does NOT

express the meaning (s) of the subjunctive mood. According to him, the English verb expresses the meanings of only TWO moods:

7. the indicative mood

8. the imperative mood.

The forms which А.И. Смирницкий considers to be Subjunctive One, Л.С. Бархударов refers to the imperative mood. Thus, Л.С. Бархударов sees NO grammatical difference between such sentences as:

9. Go there immediately!

10. I suggest that he go there immediately.

11. It is necessary that he go there immediately.

The forms which А.И. Смирницкий considers to be the suppositional mood, Л.С. Бархударов considers to be word combinations (modal verb + notional verb). Thus, Л.С. Бархударов sees NO grammatical difference between such sentences as:

12. I suggest that he should go there immediately.

13. It is necessary that he should go there immediately.

14. You should go there immediately.

The forms which А.И. Смирницкий considers to be Subjunctive Two, Л.С. Бархударов refers to the Past Simple or the Past Perfect. Thus, Л.С. Бархударов sees NO grammatical difference between such cases as:

15. I called you yesterday.

16. If I called you tomorrow…

OR:

17. He said he had done it easily.

18. If he had done it on time…

The forms which А.И. Смирницкий considers to be conditional mood, Л.С. Бархударов considers to be word combinations (modal verb + notional verb).

19. I would have done it a week ago.

20. I would sit on the front steps smoking a cigar.