Subjunctive Usages


INDEPENDENT USAGES

DEPENDENT USAGES


 Verbs appear in the subjunctive mood ONLY as required by their construction or usage. The specific usage determines the translation of the subjunctive. The usages of the subjunctive fall under two broad categories:

  • INDEPENDENT USAGES: The subjunctive when used as the main verb of an INDEPENDENT CLAUSE falls under one of four categories: deliberative, hortatory, optative, or potential.

 

  • DEPENDENT USAGES: The subjunctive, as the verb of a DEPENDENT CLAUSE, is employed according to the construction of the sentence and the SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTION.



INDEPENDENT USAGES of the SUBJUNCTIVE:


Deliberative:

What should (ought) we do? The deliberative subjunctive is employed to deliberate whether or not an action ought to be taken. The deliberative usage is typically found with question words (e.g. num, -ne, quomodo, etc.). e.g. Num Caesarem necemus? Should we kill Caesar?


Hortatory:

Let's do it! The hortatory subjunctive is employed to exhort the hearers to perform an action. e.g. Necemus Caesarem! Let's kill Caesar!


Optative:

May it happen! The optative subjunctive is employed to express a wish on the part of the speaker. The statement may be in the form of an address to hearers, but for the optative usage there is no intent to persuade the hearer toward an action. e.g. Regat Caesar! May Caesar rule!


Potential:

It might happen. The potential subjunctive is employed to express the possibility that some event could occur or some statement could be true. e.g. Caesar necetur. Caesar might be killed.





 

 DEPENDENT USAGES of the SUBJUNCTIVE:


Clauses introduced by "Ut":

1. PURPOSE CLAUSE with "UT": The purpose clause explains the reason (purpose) why the action of the independent clause was taken. The action of the independent clause was taken in order to cause the action of the dependent clause. e.g. Caesar rem publicam delevit, [ut is ipse rex sit.] Caesar destroyed the republic, [so that he himself would be king.]

2. RESULT CLAUSE with "UT": The result clause does not explain the action of the main clause, rather, it indicates the result of that action. e.g. Caesar rem publicam delevit, [ut Cassius Caesarem interficere velit.] Caesar destroyed the republic, [with the result that Cassius wants to assassinate Caesar.]

3. NEGATIVE RESULT CLAUSE with "UT + NON": Same as the previous, but with a negative outcome. e.g. Caesar rem publicam delevit, [ut Cassius Caesarem non amet.] Caesar destroyed the republic, [with the result that Cassius does not love Caesar.]


Clauses introduced by "Ne":

1. NEGATIVE PURPOSE CLAUSE with "NE": The negative purpose clause explains the reason (purpose) why the action of the independent clause was taken. The action of the independent clause was taken in order to avoid the action of the dependent clause. e.g. Caesar rem publicam delevit, [ne Senatu necetur.] Caesar destroyed the republic, [lest he be killed by the Senate.]


Clauses introduced by "Cum":

1. TEMPORAL CLAUSE with "CUM" [When...]: The temporal clause with cum is most commonly seen with the perfect and pluperfect tenses, though it can be used with the present and imperfect. e.g. C. Iulius Caesar, [cum Galliam oppugnaverit,] magnam pecuniam rapere cupivit. Gaius Iulius Caesar, [when he attacked Gaul,] wanted to seize much money.

2. CAUSAL CLAUSE with "CUM" [Since...]: The causal clause explains the action of the main clause much as would a phrase with "quia." e.g. Caesar rem publicam delet, [cum vir improbissimus sit.] Caesar is destroying the republic, [since he is a most wicked man.]

3. CONCESSIVE CLAUSE with "CUM" [Although...]: The concessive clause expresses an idea that is in conflict with the idea of the main clause so that it is necessary to concede that that the information of the dependent clause is true. e.g. [Cum Caesar rem publicam deleret,] vir probus fuit. [Although Caesar was destroying the republic,] he was a morally upright (elite) man.

Nota Bene:

  • [Cum] is often replaced by other words with similar meaning. e.g. Caesar rem publicam delet, [quod] vir improbissimus sit. Caesar is destroying the republic, since (due to the fact that) he is a most wicked man.


Relative Clauses with Subjunctive Verbs:

1. RELATIVE CLAUSE of CHARACTERISTIC: As any relative clause, the relative clause of characteristic gives further information concerning the antecedent of the relative pronoun, with the difference that instead of reporting a fact with the indicative, it indicates the sort of actions that the antecedent would perform (the character or nature of the antecedent). e.g. Caesar, [qui matrem suam necet,] rem publicam delere vult. Caesar, who would kill his own mother, wants to destroy the republic.

2. RELATIVE PURPOSE CLAUSE: Much like a purpose clause with "ut," to the extent that the sentence could make sense if the relative were replaced with "ut." e.g. Caesar nuntium missit, [qui (ut) Brutum amicum suum esse persuaserit.] Caesar sent a messenger, [who would persuade (so that he would persuade) Brutus to be his friend.]

3. RELATIVE CLAUSE in INDIRECT SPEECH: When a relative clause occurs in indirect speech, its verb should be in the subjunctive. Brutus Caesarem, [qui in Gallia urbes oppugnet,] furem esse dicit. Brutus says that Caesar, [who is attacking cities in Gaul,] is a thief.


Indirect Question:

1. INDIRECT QUESTION: The indirect question looks much like a deliberative subjunctive, with the difference being that the indirect question is a dependent usage and delivered indirectly (in indirect speech). The indirect question is not asked but rather reported. e.g. Caesar Brutum, [quid Cassius in Senatu fecerit,] interrogavit. Caesar asked Brutus [what Cassius did in the Senate.]


Conditional Statements:

(if/then statements; the conditional clause is the protasis, the result clause is the apodosis)

1. FUTURE MORE VIVID: The future more vivid uses verbs in the INDICATIVE mood. A future (or future perfect) indicative in the protasis and a future (or future perfect) indicative in the apodosis are used to express a definite outcome. e.g. Si Caesar trans Rubiconem fluvium progredietur, scelus erit. If Caesar shall advance across the Rubicon river, he shall be a criminal.

2. FUTURE LESS VIVID: The future less vivid uses a present subjunctive in the protasis and a present subjunctive in the apodosis to express a potential outcome. e.g. Si Caesar trans Rubiconem fluvium progrediatur, scelus sit. If Caesar should advance across the Rubicon river, he would be a criminal.

3. PRESENT CONTRARY to FACT: (Present Contrafactual) The present contrafactual uses an imperfect subjunctive in the protasis and an imperfect subjunctive in the apodosis to express what could be if conditions were different. e.g. Si Pompeius tam fortis quam Caesar esset, in bello vinceret. If Pompey were being as brave as Caesar, he would be conquering in the war .

4. PAST CONTRARY to FACT: (Past Contrafactual) The past contrafactual uses a pluperfect subjunctive in the protasis and a pluperfect (or imperfect) subjunctive in the apodosis to express what could be if conditions had been different. e.g. Si Pompeius tam fortis quam Caesar fuisset, in bello vicisset. If Pompey had been as brave as Caesar, he would have conquered in the war .


 


Liber Grammaticus Latinus /\\||\\/ Classis Latina MIII Pagina Villae