Subjunctive & Reported Speech

Teaching points

• • Subjunctive:
• • recommend/suggest/insist/essential + that + base verb
• • It is essential that every applicant be present.
• • Reported speech:
• • am/is → was
• • are → were
• • have/has → had
• • will → would
• • must may become had to when obligation is reported
• • Backshift is not always required when the fact remains universally true.

بعد recommend/suggest/insist أو essential that يمكن استخدام الفعل الأساسي بدون s. في الكلام المنقول تتغير الأزمنة غالباً خطوة إلى الماضي حسب السياق.

Practice

Answer the 3 questions, then check — أجب عن الأسئلة الثلاثة ثم تحقق

1. 1. The committee recommended that each candidate _____ the form online. A. submits B. submitted C. submit D. submitting
2. 2. "I have finished the report," she said. A. has finished B. had finished C. finishes D. was finishing
3. 3. It is essential that every participant _____ on time. A. is B. be C. was D. being