Notes on Grammar

~Home StudY)

A. PRESENT FORM OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE

I. FORMATION

In addition to the forms of the subjunctive based on the Past Tense, are forms based on the Present Tense:N ▶S ▶

there

Gott ~ei Dank~

Er schrieb, dass er sich beim Konsulat erkundigen ~oll~.

The forms of this subjunctive are based on the infinitive stern of the verb. A summary of representative forms are given below. The personal endings are the same as those for the Past form given in Unit 22.

er form sei wir - form seien du - form sei(e)st ih!:, - form seiet

habe solle wisse haben sollen wissen habest sollest wissest habet sollet wissetN ▶S ▶

Ir. Use in Indirect Speech.

There is no definite rule of when one uses a Present Tense subjunctive based on the Past stern and when one uses the Present Tense subjunctive based on the Present or Infinitive stern. In spoken usage the Past form is more frequent since the Present form can sound stiff and bookish.N ▶S ▶

In writing however, the

Present form occurs frequently and, as a rule, when relating what another has said: "Augenblicklich ~~:!:. eine verständigung die erste Notwendigkeit. Dass dies erkannt werue, zeige die Tatsache, dass die Englische Regierung auf die scharfe:Zurückweisung kaum reagiert ha~~.

(At the moment an understanding is the first necessity. That this is recognized is shown by the fact that the English Government has scarcely reacted to the sharp rejection.)

B. FREE INTERCHANGE OF PAST AND PRESENT TENSE SUBJUNCTIVE

The Past form is often used instead of the Present form and vice versa in both speaking and writing where it is felt that when subjunctive and indicative forms are identical the meaning might be obscured:

Er sagte, alles, was er wisse, sei, dass er nichts wisse; ~ssten aber auch dieses nicht.N ▶S ▶

viele

Wüssten is used here because the Present form would be identical with the indicative wissen. Note, that there is not a trace of past meaning to the past form. ~fits in quite naturally with the Present forms.

C. TIME AND TENSES

To review the ways of expressing time in the subjunctive, table is presented:N ▶S ▶

the following

Er sagte, er sei krank. Er sagte, er ware krank. Present Time: Er sagte, sie habe das Buch. Er sagte, sie hätte das Buch.

Er sagte, er sei krank gewesen. Er sagte. er ware krank gewesen. Past Time: Er sagte, sie habe das Buch gehabt. Er sagte, sie hätte das Buch gehabt.

Er sagte. er werde krank sein. Er sagte, er würde krank sein. Future Time: Er sagte, sie werde das Buch haben. Er sagte, sie würde das Buch haben. D. Besides the use of the Present Form in indirect speech there are a number of special uses:N ▶S ▶

SPECIAL USES OF THE PRESENT FORM

1. Exhortations and pious formulas.

Gott sei Dank: Er lebe hoch: So sei es:N ▶S ▶

Thank God. Long may he live. So bc it.

~.N ▶S ▶

Recipes and directions.

Man nehme 200 Gramm Mehl, zwei Eier Man denke dabei, dass .•.N ▶S ▶

Take 2Jv grams of flour, two eggs ..• Keep in mind that

SECHSHUNDERTZWE IUNDFÜNFZ IG

3. Introductory phrases with the meaning of "let it (or us)" followed by the verb.

Es sei noch einmal erwähnt. dass ••. Es seien nur ein paar Tatsachen erwähnt.N ▶S ▶

Let it be mentioned once more that Let us mention only a few facts.

,~.N ▶S ▶

Mathematical and other formulas.

Das Dreieck A - B - C sei dem Dreieck D - E - F gleich.N ▶S ▶

Let the triangle A - B - C be equal to the triangle D - E - F.