TÉCNICO UNIVERSITARIO EN TRADUCCIÓN

Español e Inglés

Sentence Combining with Verbals

Subjunctive Verbs

Make your sentences more interesting by combining simple sentences. Use verbals and
verbal phrases to write better sentences.

Examples:

The coach demands excellence from his players.

His main concern is their performance.
Ge r und Phr a s e
Demanding excellence (from his players) is the coach's main concern.

The third baseman caught the ball in midair.

He tagged the player out.
Pa r tic ipia l Phr ase
Catching the ball (in mid-air,) the third baseman tagged the player out.

Carl Yastrzemski retired from baseball.

He played with the Boston Red Sox for twenty years.
Pr e p Ge r und Obj of Ge r
(After playing baseball) (with the Boston Red Sox) (for twenty years,) Carl Yastrzemski
retired.

The athlete plays with confidence.

He must practice daily.
Infinitiv e Phr a s e
To play with confidence the athlete must practice daily.

Subjunctive Verbs
Mood is the manner in which an action is expressed. The subjunctive mood uses a form
of the verb to be to express conditions contrary to fact, wishes or desires, or indirect
commands.
MOOD

In English the three moods are:

1. INDICATIVE - expresses statements and asks questions, Anita works for a lawyer.
Why does she work for a lawyer?

1
2. IMPERATIVE - gives direct commands, Read the report.
Type the letters. [“You” is implied.]

3. SUBJUNCTIVE [also called Unreal Condition] - presents conditions that are contrary to
fact, wishes or desires, and indirect commands. In conditions contrary to fact and in wishes
or desires, were is used to show present time and had been to show past time, regardless
of the number of the subject.
Examples:

1. If I were at home, I would make the call.

2. If he had been left alone, he would have finished his work.

3. I wish we were rich.

4. He wished he had been elected.

Exercise: The followings sentences express unreal conditions (subjunctive). After these
real, write sentences that express what the real conditions are. [The first one is already
done for you as an example. Complete the rest.]

1. If chocolate weren’t so delicious, people wouldn’t crave it.

Chocolate ___is delicious.______________

People __crave it._____________________

2. If chocolate hadn’t been brought back to Europe by the Spanish explorers, it might not
be popular today.

Chocolate _________________________________________________

It ________________________________________________________

3. People would be healthier if they didn’t eat a lot of chocolate and other foods
containing fat and sugar.

People _________________________________________________

They _________________________________________________

4. If people ate a balanced diet, they would be well nourished.

People _________________________________________________

They _________________________________________________

5. Some people wish that they had enough willpower to refuse junk food.

Some people don’t _________________________________________________

6. People on diets often wish, for example, that they hadn’t consumed 4,000 calories at
their most recent meal.

Some people on diets actually _________________________________________________

2
 7. Gourmands are people who eat greedily, as though there were no tomorrow.

There really _________________________________________________

8. If only dieting were easy!

Dieting _________________________________________________

In business correspondence, in minutes of meetings, and in certain other uses, the word be
is often used to signal the subjunctive mood. Frequently, it indicates an indirect command
introduced by that and used with such verbs as instruct and suggest.

Examples: Mr. Smith suggests that all leaves be canceled.

It was moved that the minutes be read at the next meeting.

The teacher recommended that all of us be ready for a quiz.

Our common desire was that we be moved into the new building.

Name:_____________________________________________ Date: _______________

PRA CTICE : S E NTE NCE COM BINING W ITH V E RBA LS

DIRECTIONS: Combine the simple sentences below by changing the underlined sentences to an
infinitive phrase, a participial phrase, or a gerund phrase.

1. He tensed his muscles. The dancer soared high in the air. (Participial Phrase)

___________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________ __

2. Practice the art of aerobics. This will reduce tension and relieve stress. (Gerund Phrase)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. We will enjoy the trip thoroughly. We must plan our itinerary carefully. (Infinitive Phrase)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

4. The protester screamed his defiance. He waved a flag. (Participial Phrase)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3
5. The baby enjoys the bath. She splashes the water. (Gerund Phrase)

___________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

PRACTICE: SENTENCE COMBINING WITH VERBALS

DIRECTIONS: Combine the simple sentences below by changing the underlined sentences to an
infinitive phrase, a participial phrase, or a gerund phrase.

1. Live the way that you know you should. This will guarantee its success. (Infinitive Phrase)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. Live the way that you know you should. This will guarantee its success. (Gerund Phrase)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. She threw herself on the floor. She indulged in a temper tantrum. (Participial Phrase)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

4. She threw herself on the floor. She indulged in a temper tantrum. (Infinitive Phrase)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

5. Harry climbed up to the highest rock in the quarry. He did a perfect swan dive into the water.

(Participial Phrase)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

PRACTICE: In the following sentences, underline the forms of the verb to be which are in the
subjunctive mood.

1. I am sorry to be calling you at this hour; but if it were not urgent, I'd wait till morning.
2. The trouble with him is that he wishes he were going to Italy with you.
3. Mrs. Lamoureux suggested that Charlie's long-distance calls be limited to five minutes
each.
4. If you had been there, you couldn't have dealt with the matter any more effectively than
she did.

4
 5. If we were wealthy, we could spend the summer in Scandinavia and the winter on the
Costa del Sol.
6. It is necessary that the Secretary of State be informed of this development at once.
7. How would our ideas be communicated if we were not able to read and write?
8. Being in his situation is difficult, I am sure; but if he had been born into another sort of life,
he would have made a botch of that one, too.
9. Madam President, I move that the question be brought to a vote.
10. It is entirely normal for everyone at some time or another to wish he were someone else.
11. If it were not so late, I would call my mother.
12. Mr. Smith suggested that we all be present at the PTO's open board meeting.
13. After his inspection of the building, the fire marshall ordered that it be condemned.
14. After I saw their slides of Hawaii, I wished I were there.
15. Did you ever think what you would do if you were President of the United
States?
16. "It is necessary that you be on time for all classes each day, " said the
instructor.
17. The senatorial candidates requested that they be given equal TV time.
18. The judge ordered that the young man be made to do one hundred hours of
voluntary service in his community.
19. If I were she, I would not delay in applying for the job.
20. John's parents asked that he be home by midnight.

PRACTICE: SUBJUNCTIVE VERBS

DIRECTIONS: Using the subjunctive mood, provide the correct form of the verb in
parentheses. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THE VERB TENSES.

1. The president at the meeting moved that the minutes (accept) _______________________.

2. "I wish you (be) _______________________ here," Joan wrote to her friend.

3. If the others (be) _______________________ to come now it would be much too late to

make the opening performance.

4. Who suggested that the meeting (adjourn) _______________________ early last night?

5
5. The defendant's lawyer insisted that the complainant (show) _______________________

himself at the trial.

6. "Heaven (forbid) _______________________! " cried the Mother as she heard her son's

outlandish request for a new outfit of sport clothes.

7. It is necessary that you (study) _______________________ if you wish to pass the course.

8. The judge ordered that the statement (be) _______________________ struck from the

record.

9. The teacher wishes John (be) _______________________ more attentive in class.

10. If I (be) _______________________ you, I would accept the contract immediately.

11. The lady's landlord insisted that the rent (be) _______________________ paid on the first

day of each month.

12. Joan's mother urged that she (accept) _______________________ the secretarial job in the

law firm.

13. They resolved that they (hold) _______________________ meetings regularly each month.

14. If she (be) _______________________ not late so often, she would not be punished.

15. We shall accept their decision, (come) _______________________ what may.

16. I wish Professor Francis (be) _______________________ my teacher.

17. The doctor urged that the boy (be) _______________________ hospitalized.

18. If I (be) _______________________ you, I would get help.

19. Father insisted that we (be) _______________________ home early.

20. If he (be) _______________________ to study more, his grades would improve.

6
PRACTICE: SUBJUNCTIVE VERBS

DIRECTIONS: Write five original sentences with the subjunctive mood expressing contrary-
to-fact, wishes, and indirect commands.

1. _____________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________