Verb Mood

The mode or manner in which a Verb is used is called its Mood.

There are three Moods in English:  Indicative, Imperative, and Subjunctive.

The Indicative Mood:

Indicative Mood makes a statement or asks a question.

Examples:

• Mr. Joe Biden has become the 46th President of America.
• The company has offered him a lucrative package.
• When did you buy a new car?
• Where are you going now?

The Imperative Mood:    

The Imperative Mood expresses a command, a request, or a supposition.  The subject “you”  is generally understood.

Examples:

• Stand there.
• Open your textbook.
• Drive your car slowly.
• Send the emails immediately.
• Please, give me a pen.
• Let me speak to you.
• Let him go there.
• Give me one lakh. I shall make it one crore. (supposition)

The Subjunctive Mood:

The Subjunctive Mood is used:

To express a wish or desire:

Examples:

• God bless you!
• God save our leader!
• Heaven help us!
• God be with you!

• I wish I would keep the dinosaur as my pet.
• I wish I were with my friends now.
• I wish she would help us.
• He wishes he were the owner of the company.
• My friend wishes this belonged to him.

To express improbable or unreal situations in the present:

Examples:

• If I were you, I would not do that.
• If he were younger, he would join the Army.
• If she were the owner of this company, she would help you.
• If we took his help, we would be in a better position.

After as if /as though:

Examples:

• She speaks as if she knew everything. ( but she doesn’t know)
• He talks as though he were the owner of the company. ( but he is not)

After it is time + subject: (to indicate that it is late)

Examples:

• It is time we started.
• It is time they finished their work. 

Related Reads:

• Action, Stative, and Linking Verbs
• Regular and Irregular Verbs
• Semi-Modal Auxiliary Verbs
• Modal Auxiliary Verbs
• Primary Auxiliary Verbs