In last week’s column, we discussed these three specific tasks that are performed by the English subjunctive, namely (1) to indicate a possibility given a hypothetical situation, (2) to express a wishful attitude or desire, and (3) to demand that a particular action be taken. This time we will discuss its three other specific tasks: (4) to describe the outcome of an unreal situation or idea contrary to fact, (5) to raise a question about a hypothetical outcome, and (6) to express a request or suggestion.

Before proceeding to Task #4, however, let me add two other subjunctive sentence constructions under Task #3 that we were not able to discuss last week:

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