The subjunctive! Oh the subjunctive? I don't know what that is! Yeah to be honest nor do I?
What?! Toby, doesn't know what something is!? But Toby!? You're a genius! Toby that is so
unprofessional! You should really, like, prepare a bit more. Shut up. It doesn't
matter what it is. What matters is that you use it in your C1 Advanced english exam to get high
marks! Oh my god, Duke, can you stop doing that please? It is so annoying. Oh sorry, Monica,
it's just I get so excited by SMASH English! My name is Toby, this is SMASH English and here
is everything you need to know about using the subjunctive for the C1 Advanced Cambridge exam.
Okay so Toby, what is the subjunctive? Well I looked on wikipedia... Toby, wikipedia?
That is your research? Uh yes Monica it is. And it said that in English "the subjunctive mood is
a grammatical construction recognizable by its use of the bare form of a verb in a finite clause that
describes a non-actual scenario"... obviously. What? Um... I don't know. Okay so basically we use
the base form of a verb instead of using the third person form with -S. We break the grammatical rule
on purpose. Another example is when we use WERE instead of WAS. we're breaking the grammatical
rules on purpose because we're rebels. Uh Toby, why would I want to do that? Well let's focus on
the uses of the subjunctive that you already know. You probably use the subjunctive all the time and
you don't even know that you're using it! And that's because you are very very intelligent...
Well some of you may be intelligent at least... God,
at least one of you must be intelligent yeah? Yes!
When we use the verb TO BE in the IF clause, the condition clause, of a second conditional
we always say WERE and we never say WA.S For example: if I were you I would not let my cat
eat all of that cheese because it's very high in saturated fat. And there's one thing that I
love about cats and that's that they are slim so let's not ruin the perfect figure of a beautiful
cat... the point is instead of saying "if I WAS you" we have said "if I WERE you" and this is the
subjunctive. We are using it to emphasize that we are talking about an imaginary situation,
a situation that exists in here but not out here. But does anything really exist out here
if it's not already in here? I don't know. Do we know anything? Perhaps not. Ah so like the
subjunctive is to say something's not actually real like fairies and unicorns and... Yeah sure
okay. So like if I were a unicorn I'd like run around and dance in a pink field all day eating
candy because I love candy and I'd have lots of unicorn friends and we'd call ourselves like the
unicorn friend gang of love and light because the most important thing for unicorn is friendship,
am I right? Yes, yes exactly. And if you want to know more about using the second conditional
because you're thinking "I know a bit about it but I wanted to know everything about it",
well I have a fantastic video all about it with all the details you could possibly need
to know for both the B2 First and the C1 Advanced Cambridge exams right here! If I
were you I would watch it after this video though because this video is also bloody great...
We use if only and I wish plus the past simple to talk about imaginary present situations that we
desire and similarly to the second conditional whenever we say BE after I wish and if only in
the past simple form we never say WAS, we always say WERE. And again this is because
we are emphasizing the imaginary aspect. We are emphasizing that the situation we are describing
is unreal and that is REALly cool. For example I wish I were not here talking to this camera.
In fact I wish I were talking with my friends but there is one problem there I don't have any
friends and so I talk to the camera instead and I pretend that the camera is my friend but the
camera does not reciprocate my feelings because it's an object and objects have no feelings.
If only you were more interesting to be around, Toby, maybe you would find someone that actually
liked you? I actually wish I were less popular. It's a lot of responsibility
having all of these friends. Bruce, what are you talking about? Everyone hates you... Oh yeah I
forgot about that. Cheers Monica! And yes yes yes! SMASH English has a video all about using
I wish and if only. This is everything you need to know about using I wish and if only for the
B2 first and C1 Advanced Cambridge exams and it's really really watchable. Click here. Yes!
We use as if plus the past simple to talk about imaginary comparisons and as always
we're using the past simple to emphasize that the situation is imaginary and if we use the
verb TO BE after as if in its past simple form we never say WAS and we always always always
say WERE. For example, Monica you look as if you were a super model. Monica is not a supermodel
and so we use the past simple to emphasize that this isn't real. This is imaginary. You look as
if you were a supermodel but you're not. You just look as if you were one but you're not. You're not
one. No. However you're looking great! Well done! Notice again how we're using WERE instead of WAS
to emphasize the unreal aspect of the situation. Very similar to using I wish and if only and the
second conditional. Oh thanks, Bruce. Is it my hair? No actually it's uh it's the beard. You
look as if you were modelling for a gillette advert. "Gillette! The best a man can get!
Monica!". Oh my god, Bruce! Shut up! You look as if you were homeless! I mean look at you! Look at
that fashion sense! It's awful. And and and you smell! Yeah Bruce you smell as if you were dead.
You what, Duke? Nothing! And aha you were thinking "Toby I wish I knew every single meaning of
the word AS that I needed to know for the B2 First and the C1 Advanced Cambridge exams" And
I actually have a video all about AS so watch it here. And as you watch it think about me and think
about how thankful you are because we need to give more thanks in this world for special people
that do special special things. Thanks Toby! Thank you very very much! These are the easy peasy lemon
squeezy examples that you should already know if you're preparing for the C1 Advanced Cambridge
exam. However there is another more complicated example and that is with reporting verbs!!! This
involves using the base form of a verb and not adding -S. Even if you're using the third person!
Wow that sounds complicated! I know it sounds complicated but in practice it's not. However
it will amaze the examiners so let's look at some examples of reporting verbs. Advise. Agree. Ask.
Demand. Insist. Propose. Recommend. Request. Suggest. and Urge. Now of course if you want to
use all of these reporting verbs without using the subjunctive you can do but each has its own unique
grammatical rules and structures that apply. And you're probably thinking "How can I make sentences
with all of these?" Well you know what? If you want to learn how to do that you can because I've
got a video about every single reporting verb that you need to know for the B2 First exam and this
includes the vast, vast, vast majority of the ones that you need for the C1 Advanced exam too so
you know what to do now! Yeah. However we can also use all of these reporting verbs
with the subjunctive and that is also a very very wonderful thing. Oh and even better it's easier.
But Toby I thought you said the subjunctive was complicated? It is. Only the best students know
that the subjunctive with reporting verbs exists. However it's really really easy to do because the
grammatical rules are the same for every single reporting verb. That saves you a lot of time but
remember that this is super duper duper formal so use it in formal writing don't use it in an
informal letter or email. That would be strange. Well tell me Toby! Tell me what it is! Okay, okay,
subject plus reporting verb plus that plus subject plus infinitive.
For example: "he advised that she study harder". I know, I know. This looks really weird because
we've said STUDY instead of STUDIES. We haven't used the third person and why oh why oh why have
we done that!? You're probably thinking "I don't like English anymore. I learned this grammar rule
when I was seven and now you're telling me that sometimes we can break it? Oh my gosh,
Toby! I know that rules are made to be broken but by golly this takes it too far!" Well, calm down.
But think about it... We're breaking the grammar rules with the second conditional and with as
if and with if only and I wish by using WERE instead of WAS and we're doing that to emphasize
that a situation is unreal and that's basically what we're doing here. He advised that she
study harder. We're saying STUDY instead of STUDIES because she's not studying harder.
We're expressing his desire and his desire is an unreal situation. That's what's going on here.
Yeah. But remember that this is super duper duper formal so you should use a structure like this in
a letter of application or a letter of complaint or perhaps an essay, maybe a review or a proposal
but don't say it to your friends right. "I recommend that she go to the shop tonight
with me". That's... I mean you could do... But it's a bit weird. Keep it formal. This is formal.
Formal! Let's look then at some more examples. I urged that he wake up earlier. She insisted that
I bring more cake. We recommend that he change his behavior. I ask that he remember to bring his pen
to the party. Because every party needs a good pen! That's what I say anyway.... Um, Mr. Toby
can I have a go? Yeah go ahead. Yeah, I insist that SMASH English provide me with avocado and
sushi every single day for lunch and dinner oh yeah and and salmon for breakfast. I love salmon.
It's so nice. Yeah and I demand that Toby pay for my beer. Yeah I do... Well I request he pay for
more! We often commonly use these reporting verbs in the subjunctive combined with the
passive. I demand that the service be improved. The company insists that helmets be worn on site.
I urge that SMASH English be watched at least two times every single day. Yeah.
Seriously that is very very important. And there we have it! That was everything that you need to
know about the subjunctive for the C1 Advanced Cambridge exam! Wasn't that fun? That was fun!
Yes. Yes it was. If you liked the video don't forget to SMASH that like button, subscribe if
you haven't already, leave a comment down below! My name is Toby and this was SMASH English...