Indicative and Conditional Moods. $465. INDICATIVE. The Indicative mood is mainly used in Principal sentences to affirm or deny : Le facteur vous a donné mes bagages, The porter has given you my luggage. Le facteur ne vous a pas donné mes bagages, The porter has not given you my luggage. The Indicative is also used in subordinate sentences instead of the Subjunctive, when it is desired to state a fact: Je sais qu'il ira I know he will go. I know that he is gone. § 466. CONDITIONAL. The Conditional is mostly used in Principal sentences to which a condition, expressed or understood, is annexed. This its name implies : La facteur vous aurait donné vos bagages, s'il avait pu. he had been able. Il pourrait bien faire cela (i.c., s'il voulait), He could very well do that (i.e., if he would). It is also used in Subordinate sentences instead of the Subjunctive, but it then loses the conditional meaning, from which it takes its name, and becomes practically a Future Indicative; but a Future Indicative looked at from the Past, and not from the Present, like the ordinary Future Indicative. (§§ 368, 479, 493.) The two tenses may then be conveniently called Present Future Indicative and Past Future Indicative. I say that I shall go to-morrow, Je dis que j'irai demain. I said that I should go the next day, J'ai dit que j'irais le lendemain. * It has not always conditional force even in the Principal sentence. Subjunctive Mood. § 467. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD IN SUBORDINATE SENTENCES. The Indicative and Conditional Mood forms may be employed in surbordinate sentences; the Subjunctive Mood forms are rarely employed otherwise; this the name "Subjunctive" implics. Subordinate sentences are of three kinds : SUBSTANTIVAL: which stand in the relation of a substantive to the principal sentence. They are usually introduced by the conjunction que. (§ 468.) ADJECTIVAL which stand in the relation of an adjective to the principal sentence. They are usually introduced by a relative. (§ 469.) ADVERBIAL: which stand in the relation of an adverb to the principal sentence. They are usually introduced by compound conjunctions. (§ 470.) In Substantival and Adjectival sentences the Subjunctive, and not the Indicative or Conditional, is employed where the Principal sentence contains some expression which creates doubt or uncertainty in the general statement. In Adverbial sentences this is also true, but usage has somewhat overridden the principle, and it is safer to trust to lists based on this usage. About three-sevenths of these compound conjunctions always have the Subjunctive; about three-sevenths always have the Indicative, about one-seventh have either the Subjunctive or Indicative, according as there is doubt or not. (§ 441.) OBS. Notice the absence of 'may' and 'might' in the subordinate (332). § 468. SUBSTANTIVAL SENTENCES. Substantival sentences are introduced by que. In them the Subjunctive mood is more commonly employed than the Indicative or Conditional after 1. Expressions of uncertainty, expediency, fear, surprise, joy, sorrow, etc. Je doute qu'il écrive * I doubt if he will write He must write I fear lest he should write 2. Expressions of will, desire, permission, hindrance, etc. J'exige qu'il écrive Je désire qu'il écrive I insist upon his writing I consent to his writing If any of these expressions are put in an interrogative or negative form, the probability of the Subjunctive being the correct mood is increased, and therefore, s'imaginer (imagine), se douter (suspect), s'attendre (expect), penser (think), présumer (presume), soupçonner (suspect), croire (think), espérer (hope), which take the Indicative when used affirmatively, have the Subjunctive when used interrogatively or negatively: Il s'imagine que nous y allons, He imagines we are going there. S'imagine-t-il que nous y allions? * Does he imagine that we are going there? Il ne s'imagine pas que nous y allions, He does not imagine that we are going there. Formerly, after these verbs, the Subjunctive was required in the Subordinate sentence as after other verbs of doubt. Custom has established the distinction given above. § 469. ADJECTIVAL SENTENCES. Adjectival sentences are usually introduced by a relative. In them, as in Substantival sentences, the Subjunctive is more commonly employed than the Indicative or Conditional: 1. When the Principal sentence expresses a mere expectation or wish: Montrez-moi une seule faute que j'aie faite, Shew me a single mistake that I have made (I feel sure you will not be able); but, Montrez-moi la faute que j'ai faite, Shew me the mistake I have made (I know that there is one). 2. In assertions which are mere matters of opinion: L'homme est le seul être qui sache qu'il doit mourir, Man is the only being who knows that he must die; but, L'homme est le seul être qui est droit sur ses pieds, Man is the only being who stands upright. As with Substantival sentences, if there is an interrogation or negation in the Principal sentence, the probability of the Subjunctive being the right mood is increased. § 470. ADVERBIAL SENTENCES. Adverbial sentences are usually introduced by various Compound Conjunctions, which are differently classed into conditional, concessive, consecutive, final, temporal, causal, comparative. (See § 441.) CONDITIONAL. À moins que, pourvu que, en cas que, soit que, supposé que, pour peu que (§ 332). J'irai, à moins qu'elle ne soit malade, I shall go, unless she is ill. Soit qu'il vienne ou non, j'irai, Whether he comes cr not, I shall go Elle le verra, pourvu qu'il lui plaise, She will receive him, provided ho pleases her. Habille-toi, en cas qu'il vienne, Dress yourself, in case he comes. CONCESSIVE. Quoique, bien que, encore que. Il réussira, quoique nous en pensions, He will succeed, whatever we may think about it. Elle le fit, bien qu'elle en souffrît, She did it, though she suffered in doing so. Nous l'avons laissé partir, encore que nous l'aimions, We have let him go, notwithstanding our love for him. FINAL. Pour que, afin que, de peur que, de crainte que. Il viendra, pour que nous l'admirions, He will come, for us to admire him. Nous l'amusons, de crainte qu'elle ne s'ennuie, TEMPORAL Avant que, jusqu'à ce que, en attendant que. Il mourra avant qu'elle vienne, He will die before she comes. Nous attendrons jusqu'à ce qu'il se décide, We will wait until he decides. Nous jouons en attendant que l'heure du travail arrive, We play till the time for work comes. CONSECUTIVE. De manière que, de sorte que. Il s'arrange.de manière que nous puissions le voir, Il est parti, de sorte que je me trouve seul, Y |