Subjunctive — mandative and formulaic
The English subjunctive is mostly fossilized. What survives at C1 is a specific cluster: the mandative subjunctive (I recommend that he leave), the adjectival-trigger subjunctive (it is essential that he leave), the were-subjunctive in counterfactuals (if I were you — covered in lesson 21), and a small set of formulaic survivals (be that as it may, suffice it to say, come what may, far be it from me). The C2 lesson covers the pragmatic-genre layer — when these forms signal what kind of stylistic posture. This C1 lesson covers the inventory and the AmE/BrE distinction.
The subjunctive is morphologically visible only in the 3rd-person singular (where it drops the -s) and in the be paradigm (where it shows be / were). In all other persons, the subjunctive form is identical to the indicative. The construction applies to all subjects — but you can only see it in 3sg and in be forms.
Mandative subjunctive — the verb triggers
The mandative subjunctive appears in that-clauses after verbs of recommendation, suggestion, demand, request, and proposal. In AmE the verb in the that-clause takes the bare infinitive (no inflection).
Inventory of triggering verbs
| Verb category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Recommendation | recommend, suggest, advise, urge, propose |
| Demand / insistence | demand, insist, require, command, order |
| Request | request, ask, beg, plead |
| Decision / resolution | decide, decree, determine, ordain, rule |
| Proposal | move, motion, propose (in formal/parliamentary contexts) |
Pattern: V + that + S + bare-V
The verb in the subordinate that-clause is the bare infinitive — no -s in 3rd person singular, no inflection for any subject.
- The committee recommends that he leave the firm. (not leaves)
- I insist that she be included on the call. (not is)
- The judge ordered that the witness appear in person. (not appears or appeared)
- Counsel requests that the court set the matter for hearing. (not sets)
- The board moved that the proposal be tabled. (not is tabled)
The subjunctive form is visible in 3sg (he leave vs he leaves) and with be forms (she be included vs she is included). With other persons, the form is identical to the indicative — but the construction is still subjunctive, even when invisible.
Subjunctive in passive
The passive form is be + V3:
- The committee recommends that the report be revised. (not is revised)
- I insist that the meeting be rescheduled. (not is rescheduled)
- The judge ordered that the document be sealed. (not is sealed)
This is a frequent C1 trap: the report is revised sounds correct because the matrix tense is present, but the subjunctive requires be (the bare be of the infinitive).
AmE mandative vs BrE indicative — the major distinction
The most consequential difference between AmE and BrE in this construction:
- AmE: mandative subjunctive (bare infinitive) is the standard form in formal and academic writing. The committee recommends that he leave.
- BrE: the should + bare V form is traditionally preferred; mandative subjunctive is sometimes seen as a transatlantic borrowing (though increasingly accepted in BrE). The committee recommends that he should leave.
The corpus picture:
| Form | AmE frequency | BrE frequency |
|---|---|---|
| recommend that he leave | dominant | rising, now competitive |
| recommend that he should leave | rare-marked | traditional |
| recommend that he leaves | informal/non-standard | informal/standard in some BrE |
In AmE academic and legal prose, always use the bare subjunctive. The court recommends that the defendant should appear is BrE-marked; an AmE editor will change it to The court recommends that the defendant appear.
A Russian-L1 trap: producing the indicative form (recommends that he leaves) because Russian uses indicative in these subordinate clauses. AmE requires the subjunctive form (bare infinitive).
Adjectival triggers — it is + adjective + that + V
A parallel construction uses adjectives of necessity, importance, urgency, or appropriateness with it is X that + bare-infinitive clause.
Inventory of triggering adjectives
| Adjective category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Necessity | essential, necessary, imperative, crucial, vital, indispensable |
| Importance | important, critical, key, paramount |
| Urgency | urgent, pressing |
| Appropriateness | appropriate, fitting, proper, advisable, fair, just, right |
| Stipulation | stipulated, required, mandated, prescribed |
Pattern: It is + adjective + that + S + bare-V
- It is essential that the committee act before the deadline. (not acts)
- It is imperative that he be there in person. (not is)
- It is necessary that every member be present. (not is present)
- It was vital that the witness appear under oath. (not appeared)
- It is appropriate that the matter be referred to the audit committee. (not is referred)
The same AmE-bare-subjunctive vs BrE-should split applies:
- AmE: It is essential that he be there.
- BrE: It is essential that he should be there. (traditional) / It is essential that he be there. (also acceptable, modern)
Legal and regulatory register — shall and the subjunctive
In legal and regulatory English, the mandative subjunctive operates alongside the legal use of shall:
- The Lessee shall pay rent on the first of each month. (legal shall — obligation)
- Counsel requests that the court set the matter for hearing. (mandative subjunctive)
- The statute provides that no person be denied access on these grounds. (mandative subjunctive in statutory definition)
- It is the policy of the State that all eligible applicants be considered without delay. (adjectival-trigger subjunctive)
In legal drafting, the mandative subjunctive carries the same precise function it does in academic prose — but the register is more rigorous. Mixing shall + V with mandative that-clauses is the standard practice in US Code and Federal Regulations.
The that-clause omission
In legal and formal academic prose, the that connector is sometimes omitted, leaving the bare-infinitive subjunctive directly:
- The committee recommends he leave. (omitted that)
- I insist she be there. (omitted that)
- The court orders the document be sealed. (omitted that)
The omission is acceptable but slightly more abrupt. In careful academic writing, retain that. In legal drafting, omission is common.
Formulaic subjunctives — the surviving fixed phrases
Beyond the mandative system, a small set of fixed expressions preserves subjunctive forms in modern English. These are not productive — you cannot extend them to new contexts — but they are part of C1 active vocabulary in formal register.
Inventory of formulaic subjunctives
| Phrase | Subjunctive form | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Be that as it may | be (subjunctive) | Concessive — “however that may be” |
| Suffice it to say (that) | suffice it (subjunctive) | Concluding shorthand — “it is enough to say” |
| Come what may | come (subjunctive) | Determined — “whatever may come” |
| Come hell or high water | come (subjunctive) | Determined (idiomatic) |
| Far be it from me to + V | be (subjunctive) | Disclaimer — “I would not presume to” |
| God bless you / God save the Queen / Long live the King | bare V (subjunctive) | Optative — wish/blessing |
| Heaven forbid | bare V (subjunctive) | Wished-against |
| So be it | be (subjunctive) | Acceptance — “let it be so” |
| Lest + S + V (bare) | bare V (subjunctive) | Purpose-negative — “for fear that” |
| If I were you / Were I you | were (subjunctive) | Counterfactual (see lesson 21) |
Usage examples in context
- The proposal has flaws. Be that as it may, the committee will take it up at the next meeting.
- The details are complex. Suffice it to say that the project is significantly over budget.
- *Come what may, we’ll be at the airport by noon.
- *Far be it from me to question the senator’s judgment, but…
- He kept his work private lest anyone interfere with his methods. (note bare V — lest takes subjunctive)
The lest construction is the only one in this list that is somewhat productive — you can apply lest to new contexts, though it sounds high-formal in modern AmE. The others are strictly fixed.
Lest — the productive formulaic survivor
Lest deserves separate treatment because it is the one C1 subjunctive trigger that can be applied to new sentences, not just memorized as a phrase.
- He whispered the password, lest the guard hear him. (not hears)
- Document every decision, lest the audit team find gaps. (not finds)
- Move quickly, lest the opportunity slip away. (not slips)
Lest means for fear that, so that not, in order to prevent. The verb in the lest-clause takes the bare-infinitive subjunctive. Lest is high-formal — appropriate in academic, legal, literary, and ceremonial register; out of place in casual writing.
A common L2 error: producing lest + indicative (lest the guard hears him). In careful prose, the subjunctive is required after lest.
Common Russian-L1 problems at C1
- Indicative after mandative verbs: producing I recommend that he leaves → I recommend that he leave. Russian uses indicative in subordinate clauses; AmE mandative requires the subjunctive bare infinitive.
- Should-form imitation from BrE materials: producing I recommend that he should leave in an AmE context → use bare subjunctive I recommend that he leave. The should form is BrE-marked in AmE.
- Indicative in passive subjunctive: producing I recommend that the report is revised → I recommend that the report be revised. The subjunctive passive is be + V3, not is + V3.
- Wrong indicative after adjectival triggers: producing It is essential that he is there → It is essential that he be there. Adjectival triggers parallel verb triggers in requiring subjunctive.
- Forgetting subjunctive after lest: producing lest the guard hears him → lest the guard hear him. Lest is a productive subjunctive trigger.
- Using formulaic phrases incorrectly: producing be that may or suffice to say → be that as it may, suffice it to say. These are fixed; the function words cannot be dropped.
- Confusion in 1sg / 2sg where subjunctive is invisible: not realizing that I recommend that you come is also subjunctive (just looks like indicative because come is the same form for 2sg). The construction is consistent across persons; the morphology shows only in 3sg.
AmE notes — register and frequency
Frequency in AmE academic and legal prose: the mandative subjunctive is alive and frequent — far more so than many learners assume. It is the editorial default in academic journals (APA, Chicago, MLA all enforce it), in federal regulations, in legal opinions, in newspaper editorials, and in formal business correspondence. Avoiding it in formal AmE writing produces immediately recognizable L2 prose.
Frequency in AmE casual register: mandative subjunctive is rare in casual speech. I think you should leave (with should + V) is the conversational form; I recommend that you leave sounds formal-correct but stilted in casual chat. Match the register.
The should + V fallback in AmE is genuinely used in some specific contexts: when the speaker wants to signal advice rather than demand (I suggest that he should consider it sounds milder than I suggest that he consider it). But this is a soft preference, not a rule; the bare subjunctive remains the default.
Formulaic phrases by frequency: be that as it may, suffice it to say, come what may, far be it from me are part of educated active vocabulary in formal register. Lest is high-formal — use it in academic and ceremonial writing, not in business email.
Summary
- Mandative subjunctive in AmE uses the bare infinitive in that-clauses after verbs of recommendation, demand, request, and proposal (recommend, insist, demand, propose, request, urge). Visible only in 3sg and be forms; applies to all persons.
- Adjectival triggers (essential, imperative, necessary, vital, appropriate) follow the same pattern: it is essential that he + bare V.
- AmE bare subjunctive vs BrE should + V: AmE editorial default is bare subjunctive; BrE traditionally uses should + V but increasingly accepts the bare form too. In AmE prose, always bare subjunctive.
- Passive subjunctive: be + V3, not is + V3 — I recommend that the report be revised.
- Legal/regulatory register combines mandative subjunctive in that-clauses with legal shall in main clauses. Standard practice in US Code and federal regulations.
- Formulaic subjunctives are fixed phrases: be that as it may, suffice it to say, come what may, far be it from me, so be it, God bless you, heaven forbid. Not productive (cannot extend), but part of active educated vocabulary.
- Lest is the one productive formulaic survivor: lest + S + bare V means “for fear that”; high-formal register.