Grammar Smart 3rd Edition - Princeton Review 2014

H. Voice And Mood
Part 3. Putting It All Together

And finally, we have a few last words on verbs.

Voice

If you have a choice, use the active voice, in which the subject acts, instead of passive voice, in which something is done to your subject.

Active voice: Wanda cooked collard greens.

Passive voice: The collard greens were cooked by Wanda.

Active voice has a verb that takes a direct object. In passive voice, the object is turned into the subject, and the verb is a form of the verb to be plus a past participle. Active voice is the stronger form of expression.

Mood

Yes, even verbs can have moods—three of them, in fact. Only the subjunctive causes any problems.

Indicative mood: for statement of fact or asking a question.

He’s back.

His teeth are green.

Are you eating cheese?

Imperative mood: for commands or directions.

Do it now.

Call me.

Follow the road to the foundry.

Subjunctive mood: for statements that are contrary to fact, or for that clauses of order, demand, or recommendation.

1. Contrary to fact simply mean not true. For example:

The girl said that if she were a boy, she would want to play for the Knicks.

A girl is speaking, so the clause if she were a boy is a statement contrary to fact, which means we use the subjunctive.

2. That clauses of order, demand, recommendations. For example:

The girl demanded that she be allowed to try out for the Knicks.

Here’s what is different about the subjunctive mood. She is usually conjugated with was. She was, not she were. And in the second example, the regular conjugation would be she is allowed, not she be allowed.

But the subjunctive conjugation is different. The subjunctive for the verb to be is be for present tense (she be allowed) and were for past tense.

The subjunctive for all other verbs is third person plural—the verb that goes with they.

The best way to understand the subjunctive is to look at some examples.

If it were August, I would go to the beach.

She ordered that the door be closed.

He recommends that she write her paper tonight.

If I were you, I would go back to bed.