EnglishAges 16-18

Subjunctive mood & conditionals

Use the formal subjunctive mood in counterfactual conditionals and mandative clauses. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Age band:Ages 13-15 Ages 16-18

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Subjunctive mood & conditionals

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Choose the correct form: “Take shelter immediately lest the storm ____ you in the open channel” (catch / catches).
Choose the correct form “T… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
2. In the sentence “Verify the data before you publish”, what grammatical mood is the verb “Verify”: Imperative, Subjunctive, or Interrogative?
“Verify” · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
3. Choose the correct inverted conditional: “____ the sensor to fail, the backup alarm would sound immediately” (Were / Was).
Choose the correct inverte… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
4. Choose the correct form: “The board proposed that the scholarship fund ____ expanded next term” (be / is).
Choose the correct form “T… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
5. Choose the correct form: “It is vital that the patient ____ hydrated during recovery” (stay / stays).
Choose the correct form “I… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
6. Choose the correct form: “The judge ordered that the witness ____ the courtroom” (leave / leaves).
Choose the correct form “T… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
7. Choose the correct form: “He acts as if he ____ every capital city in the world” (knew / knows).
Choose the correct form “H… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
8. Choose the correct form: “The bylaws require that the treasurer ____ an audited statement every year” (submit / submits).
Choose the correct form “T… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
9. Choose the correct past counterfactual: “If we ____ measured the mass before heating, we could have calculated the water lost” (had / would have).
Choose the correct past co… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
10. Choose the correct form: “It is important that a scientific hypothesis ____ testable and falsifiable” (be / are).
Choose the correct form “I… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
11. Choose the correct form: “It is essential that the specimen ____ kept at a constant temperature” (be / is).
Choose the correct form “I… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
12. Choose the correct form: “The editor demanded that the fabricated quotation ____ removed immediately” (be / was).
Choose the correct form “T… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…

12 questions · Seed 46 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Subjunctive mood & conditionals

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Choose the correct form: “Take shelter immediately lest the storm ____ you in the open channel” (catch / catches).
catch
Conjunction “lest” traditionally takes the subjunctive base verb (“catch”).
2. In the sentence “Verify the data before you publish”, what grammatical mood is the verb “Verify”: Imperative, Subjunctive, or Interrogative?
Imperative
The imperative mood issues a direct command or instruction.
3. Choose the correct inverted conditional: “____ the sensor to fail, the backup alarm would sound immediately” (Were / Was).
Were
Inverted hypothetical conditionals use “Were + subject + to-infinitive” (“Were the sensor to fail…”).
4. Choose the correct form: “The board proposed that the scholarship fund ____ expanded next term” (be / is).
be
“Proposed that” takes the mandative subjunctive “be”.
5. Choose the correct form: “It is vital that the patient ____ hydrated during recovery” (stay / stays).
stay
“It is vital that…” triggers the mandative subjunctive “stay”.
6. Choose the correct form: “The judge ordered that the witness ____ the courtroom” (leave / leaves).
leave
“Ordered that” governs a mandative subjunctive clause with the bare verb “leave”.
7. Choose the correct form: “He acts as if he ____ every capital city in the world” (knew / knows).
knew
After “as if” for an improbable or untrue present state, English uses the modal past/subjunctive “knew”.
8. Choose the correct form: “The bylaws require that the treasurer ____ an audited statement every year” (submit / submits).
submit
“Require that” takes the mandative subjunctive base verb “submit”.
9. Choose the correct past counterfactual: “If we ____ measured the mass before heating, we could have calculated the water lost” (had / would have).
had
In a third conditional, the “if” clause uses the past perfect (“had measured”), not “would have”.
10. Choose the correct form: “It is important that a scientific hypothesis ____ testable and falsifiable” (be / are).
be
“It is important that…” takes the mandative subjunctive “be”.
11. Choose the correct form: “It is essential that the specimen ____ kept at a constant temperature” (be / is).
be
After “It is essential that…”, the mandative subjunctive requires the base form “be”.
12. Choose the correct form: “The editor demanded that the fabricated quotation ____ removed immediately” (be / was).
be
“Demanded that” requires the mandative subjunctive “be”.

12 questions · Seed 46 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Subjunctive mood & conditionals

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Choose the correct form: “Take shelter immediately lest the storm ____ you in the open channel” (catch / catches).
Choose the correct form “T… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
2. In the sentence “Verify the data before you publish”, what grammatical mood is the verb “Verify”: Imperative, Subjunctive, or Interrogative?
“Verify” · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
3. Choose the correct inverted conditional: “____ the sensor to fail, the backup alarm would sound immediately” (Were / Was).
Choose the correct inverte… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
4. Choose the correct form: “The board proposed that the scholarship fund ____ expanded next term” (be / is).
Choose the correct form “T… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
5. Choose the correct form: “It is vital that the patient ____ hydrated during recovery” (stay / stays).
Choose the correct form “I… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
6. Choose the correct form: “The judge ordered that the witness ____ the courtroom” (leave / leaves).
Choose the correct form “T… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
7. Choose the correct form: “He acts as if he ____ every capital city in the world” (knew / knows).
Choose the correct form “H… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
8. Choose the correct form: “The bylaws require that the treasurer ____ an audited statement every year” (submit / submits).
Choose the correct form “T… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
9. Choose the correct past counterfactual: “If we ____ measured the mass before heating, we could have calculated the water lost” (had / would have).
Choose the correct past co… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
10. Choose the correct form: “It is important that a scientific hypothesis ____ testable and falsifiable” (be / are).
Choose the correct form “I… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
11. Choose the correct form: “It is essential that the specimen ____ kept at a constant temperature” (be / is).
Choose the correct form “I… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…
12. Choose the correct form: “The editor demanded that the fabricated quotation ____ removed immediately” (be / was).
Choose the correct form “T… · Subjunctive mood & conditi…

12 questions · Seed 46 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Subjunctive mood & conditionals

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Choose the correct form: “Take shelter immediately lest the storm ____ you in the open channel” (catch / catches).
catch
Conjunction “lest” traditionally takes the subjunctive base verb (“catch”).
2. In the sentence “Verify the data before you publish”, what grammatical mood is the verb “Verify”: Imperative, Subjunctive, or Interrogative?
Imperative
The imperative mood issues a direct command or instruction.
3. Choose the correct inverted conditional: “____ the sensor to fail, the backup alarm would sound immediately” (Were / Was).
Were
Inverted hypothetical conditionals use “Were + subject + to-infinitive” (“Were the sensor to fail…”).
4. Choose the correct form: “The board proposed that the scholarship fund ____ expanded next term” (be / is).
be
“Proposed that” takes the mandative subjunctive “be”.
5. Choose the correct form: “It is vital that the patient ____ hydrated during recovery” (stay / stays).
stay
“It is vital that…” triggers the mandative subjunctive “stay”.
6. Choose the correct form: “The judge ordered that the witness ____ the courtroom” (leave / leaves).
leave
“Ordered that” governs a mandative subjunctive clause with the bare verb “leave”.
7. Choose the correct form: “He acts as if he ____ every capital city in the world” (knew / knows).
knew
After “as if” for an improbable or untrue present state, English uses the modal past/subjunctive “knew”.
8. Choose the correct form: “The bylaws require that the treasurer ____ an audited statement every year” (submit / submits).
submit
“Require that” takes the mandative subjunctive base verb “submit”.
9. Choose the correct past counterfactual: “If we ____ measured the mass before heating, we could have calculated the water lost” (had / would have).
had
In a third conditional, the “if” clause uses the past perfect (“had measured”), not “would have”.
10. Choose the correct form: “It is important that a scientific hypothesis ____ testable and falsifiable” (be / are).
be
“It is important that…” takes the mandative subjunctive “be”.
11. Choose the correct form: “It is essential that the specimen ____ kept at a constant temperature” (be / is).
be
After “It is essential that…”, the mandative subjunctive requires the base form “be”.
12. Choose the correct form: “The editor demanded that the fabricated quotation ____ removed immediately” (be / was).
be
“Demanded that” requires the mandative subjunctive “be”.

12 questions · Seed 46 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification