Subjunctive

Subjunctive dapat disebut pula sebagai pengandaian. jenis kalimat ini sangat khusus dan umumnya jarang digunakan dalam Bahasa Inggris.

Struktur Subjunctive
Struktur kalimat jenis ini sangat sederhana. Semua kata kerja kecuali bentuk past tense (lampau) diikuti oleh be. Kata kerja kalimat subjunctive sama dengan kata kerja dasar (infinitive) tanpa 'to'.

Be (pat)	Be (present)	All other verbs (past & present)
I were	I be	I work
You were	You be	You work
He, she, it were	He, she, it be	He, she, it work
We were	We be	We work
You were	You be	You work
They were	They be	They work

Kata kerja subjunctive tidak berubah meski menggunakan berbagai subjek. I, you, he, she, it, they dsb. tetap menggunakan kata kerja yang berjenis sama (kata kerja dasar).

Penggunaan Subjunctive

Subjunctive digunakan ketika membicarakan berbagi kejadian atau peristiwa yang terjadinya tidak tentu atau belum jelas. Peristiwa yang belum tentu terjadi antara lain:

• ketika seseorang menginginkan/berharap peristiwa tersebut terjadi
• ketika seseorang mengira/menyangka peristiwa tersebut akan terjadi
• ketika seseorang membayangkan peristiwa tersebut sedang terjadi

Contoh:

• The President request that you be present at the meeting.
• It is vital that you be present at the meeting.
• If you were at the meeting, the President would be happy.

Subjunctive digunakan setelah kata-kata berikut ini:

• Kata kerja: ask, command, demand, insist, propose, recommend, request, suggest + that
• Ekspresi : it is desirable/essential/ important/necessary/vital + that.

Contoh:

• The manager insist that the car park be locked at night.
• The board of director recommended that he join the company.
• It is essential that we vote as soon as possible.

Pada kalimat subjunctive strukturnya selalu sama dan tidak terpengaruh akan tense (past atau present).

Contoh:

a. Present : The President request that they stop the occupation.

    Past : The President requested that they stop the occupation.

b. Present : It is essential that she be present.

    Past : It was essential that she be present.

Subjunctive seperti yang dijelaskan di atas lebih sering digunakan dalam Inggris Amerika dari pada di Inggris. Di Inggris lebih sering menggunakan bentuk : Should + infinitive

Contoh:

• The manager insists that the car park should be locked at night.
• It was essential that we should vote as soon as possible.

Subjunctive 'were' digunakan untuk menggantikan 'was' setelah 'if' yang tentu saja tidak merubah arti kalimat.

Contoh:

• If I were you, I would ask her.
• Suppose she were here. What would you say?

Mengapa subjunctive 'were' lebih sering digunakan?

Karena 'were' mengacu pada kata kerja past subjunctive yaitu 'to be' bukan merupakan bentuk lampau (past simple tense) dari am atau is. Subjunctive 'were' digunakan setelah :

• If : If I were young, I would be stronger.
• As if : She acts as if she were Queen. 
• Wish : I wish I weren't to weak.
• Suppose : I suppose you were sick.

Subjunctive dapat digunakan dalam bentuk negative, continuous dan passive.

Negative

Contoh:

• The boss insisted that Sam not be at the meeting.
• The company asked that employees not accept personal phone calls during business hours.
• I suggest that you not take the job without renegotiating the salary.

Passive

Contoh:

• Jake recommended that Susan be hired immediately.
• Christine demanded that I be allowed to take part in the negotiations.
• We suggested that you be admitted to the organization.

Continuous

Contoh:

• It is important that you be standing there when he gets off the plane.
• It is crucial that a car be waiting for the boss when the meeting is over.
• I propose that we all be waiting in Tim's apartment when he gets home.

Beberapa ekspresi tertentu juga menggunakan subjunctive.

Contoh:

• Long live the King!
• God bless America!
• Heaven forbid!