Olly Jezek from the Czech Republic writes: Please could you explain how to use the subjunctive? E.g.: ‘It’s important that the lesson be funny.’ When should we use ‘be’ and why? Maria Goranova from ...

“Let’s see,” you may say to yourself about three-quarters through the typical first-year Spanish course, “how many verb tenses have we studied? 1. Present Indicative; 2. Imperfect Indicative; 3.

Use the subjunctive when a person wants someone else to do something, eg, I want him to go home. It can also be used to express thoughts, possibility or necessity. vouloir que to want (someone to do ...

In my last column, I wrote about the importance of the subjunctive in Spanish and provided one way to help you understand it (TT,May 25). I suggested that you become aware that the subjunctive exists ...

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. A recent Economist magazine column looked at the English past subjunctive. The present subjunctive gets much less attention. This ...

It is often bemoaned in Britain that English is going to pieces—and Americans are generally to blame. Whether you call it decline or not, the moaners are on to something: America has indeed produced ...

One of the most fascinating things about language is that we can use it so well, so expertly, without understanding how we do it. The following two sentences are perfect examples. If the burglar was ...