subjunctive overview

magistra rogavit cur discipli essent tardi.

• indirect command

• indirect question

• indirect statement

• deliberative

Answer explanation

The teacher asked why the students were late.

Reports the direct question "why are you late?". Note the question asking word in a declarative sentence and not as the first word.

Cicero erat senex qui de temporibus bonis antiquisque loqueretur

• relative clause purpose

• relative clause characteristic

• relative clause

• jussive

Answer explanation

Cicero was the type of old man who was talking about the good old days.

qui + a subjunctive can show purpose (nuntium qui iuusa daret, a messenger to give the orders)

Or it can describe a type of person of thing. It's not an indicative stating that Ciceros was talking about the good ole days, merely that he's the type of old man who would.

si dinosauri superfuissent, tacones cenavissent.

• present contrary-to-fact

• past contrary-to-fact

• future less vivid

• simple fact conditional

Answer explanation

si + pluperfect subjunctives = past contrary to fact conditional. If dinosaurs had survived (but they didn't) they would have eaten tacos (but they didn't).

liberi timuerunt ne sub lecto spectarent.

• fearing clause

• purpose clause

• result clause

• conditional

Answer explanation

The children feared to look under the bed. What one fears to do uses "ne". What one fears not to do uses "ut". Kind of backwards.

cum sol luceret discipuli miseri erant in ludo.

• circumstantial

• causal

• concessive

• temporal

Answer explanation

When the sun was shining the unhappy students were in school. cum + subjunctive meaning "when" describes a general circumstance.

crustulum vescantur!

• hortatory

• jussive

• purpose

• indirect question

Answer explanation

Let them eat cake! 3rd person present subjunctive is jussive, a soft command "let him/her/it/them X".

Brutus regem expulit ut Romam liberaret.

• purpose clause

• indirect command

• result clause

• result clause

Answer explanation

Brutus expelled the king to free Rome - the ut explain why Brutus did the indicative action.

si ego essem canis, Corgi essem.

• past contrary to fact conditional

• result clause

• present contrary to fact conditional

• relative clause characteristic

Answer explanation

If I were a dog (but I'm not), I would be a Corgi (but I'm not).

si = conditional

subjunctive = contrary to fact

imperfect = present contrary to fact

discipuli erant tam defessi ut in ludo dormient.

• purpose clause

• hortatory

• relative clause of characteristic

• result clause

Answer explanation

The student were so tired that they slept in school - the ut explains a cause-effect. Note the use of tam which is a red flag word for result clauses.

cum sol luceret discipuli erant calidi.

• circumstantial

• causal

• concessive

• temporal

Answer explanation

Because the sun was shining the students were hot. cum + subjunctive meaning "because/since" shows cause and effect.