Mria Drobkov

2Basm
Diploma Seminar W14
Final paper

The Differences between the Use of Subjunctive Mood, notably

the Difference between British and American English
The topic of British and American English, notably the difference between the two, is
an extensive one. As such an expansive topic it has been accordingly studied and researched.
One might ask if it is important to know the differences, if it matters to study and identify
them. The answer cannot be clearly set without suitable research, as everyone has different
fields of interest. However, generally speaking, setting the rules and being aware of the
differences is considered to be exactly what supports the efforts and effects of researching.
This paper provides claims that at least support this tendency. According to Richard Hogg and
David Danison, if we do not differentiate between native and non-native English speakers, the
English language is used by a quarter of people on our planet, and even this number is
constantly changing (Hogg, R., Danison, D., 2006, p. 425). This suggests that a lot of people
use English and broadening the knowledge of this language is considered to be enriching and
useful. The aim of this paper is to analyse the standardisation and its importance through
researching the linguistic notion known as subjunctive mood and to prove whether it is
important or not to study, standardize and preserve languages. The hypothesis states that the
subjunctive mood is more common in American English than in British English thanks to its
standardization after the unification of America.
Before explaining the difference between British and American English and
importance of standardization, it is also essential to mention evolution of the English language
in order to understand the subject in a more comprehensive way. It is crucial because every
change that happened, had a certain impact on present-day form of English and it helps to

Mria Drobkov
2Basm
Diploma Seminar W14
Final paper

understand the need and desire for standardization. This part will present a brief overview of
the history of English language.
The oldest form of English is Old English. Old English was formed in the area of
present-day England when Germanic tribes, including Angles, Saxons and Jutes, came there
in the 5th century AD. Those tribes enriched the region not only by their culture and tradition
but also by their language. The version of Old English seems more like a foreign language
than an ancestor of Modern English for todays speakers and learners of English language, but
it just supports the claim that languages evolve. One of the most remarkable changes that
influenced English happened after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when Old English was
replaced by Norman French as the official language of England (Hornby, A., Oxford Learner
s Dictionary 2010, under Old English). This caused that aristocracy was using French for
communication, but people from lower social classes still used Old English, which later
developed into Middle English. During the period of Middle English (12th 15 th century)
there were few significant milestones. One of them was popularization of English by the poet
Geoffrey Chaucer who preferred English to Latin or French. Another milestone was the effort
of William Caxton who made books easier to access with a printing press and this had a huge
impact on language development. One of the milestones was also the official standardization
for written English (Hornby, A., Oxford Learners Dictionary 2010, under John Caxton).
The first written standard of English language comes from the 15th century, as the
standardization was an essential part of increasing the knowledge of the language across the
country. This standard version was inspired by the London dialect, which is based on the East
Midlands dialect. (Culpeper, J., p.74). Later, as the British Empire was expanding and as it
covered extensive areas and had a greater influence, English started to be considered as the
language of business. However, merchants and sailors usually used a simplified version of

Mria Drobkov
2Basm
Diploma Seminar W14
Final paper

English and did not use standardized version. This contributed to the emergence of different
versions of English all over the world. In 1607, English-speaking people settled in the area of
the present United States. Here they spread their culture and language. Many factors changed
and influenced the development of English into American English and differentiated it from
the British one.
One of the quotations that aptly represents the difference between the British and
American English is also highlighted by a well-known author George Bernard Shaw who
states that England and America are two countries separated by the same language (Brainy
Quotes, par. 1). This quotation implies both, the similarity of British and American English
and its difference. In order to keep the borders between the two and state what connects them
and what differentiates them, establishing a standardized version of the English language in
America was an important issue for American people. They view it as one of the ways of
expressing their desire for autonomy. The War of American Independence (1775-1783) was a
revolution of 13 British colonies in America, which decided to be united as a coherent unit.
Political, social and religious reasons were important and consequently with them linguistic
reasons emerged as well. Linguistic reasons were matter because America and American
English were influenced by many sources and impacts and shaped itself in a new way. It
means that the vocabulary was enriched by new words, grammar by new rules and it caused a
need to standardize the language.
In order to understand the importance of standardization, it is also crucial to provide
certain definitions and clarify the subject. One of the definitions of standardization is provided
by a webpage About.com and states that standardization is

Mria Drobkov
2Basm
Diploma Seminar W14
Final paper
[t]he process by which conventional forms of a language are established and maintained.
Standardization may occur as a natural development of a language in a speech community or
as an effort by members of a community to impose one dialect or variety as a standard.
(About.com, par. 1-2)

It follows from this definition that people tend to preserve their language and that this
process is natural to them. This supports the claim that standardization has a significant role.
Another definition which also supports the tendency towards the natural desire to preserve a
language and its form is provided by Ana Deumert who claims that
standardization processes are typically accompanied by the development of specific
discourse practices. These discourses emphasize the desirability of uniformity and correctness
in language use, the primacy of writing and the very idea of a national language as the only
legitimate language of the speech community.
(Deumert, A., 2004, p.2)

One of the most significant persons concerned with establishing the standardized
version of American English is Noah Webster (1758-1843), a teacher and a linguist who
created An American Dictionary of the English Language. This book was published in 1828,
and therefore this year can be considered to be one of the most significant years in the
development of American English. The significance of the book is based on the fact that Noah
Webster learned 26 languages, including Anglo-Saxon and Sanskrit, in order to research the
origins of his own country's tongue, and also because he changed the spelling of English used
in America and he unified the mixture of various English dialects brought from the British
Empire. His version of standardization of American English was learned and followed by
many generations (Merriam-Webster, 2014).
Another worth-mentioning person is H. L. Mecken, an American author who wrote
The American Language (1919). On the Bartleby webpage it is stated about this book that

Mria Drobkov
2Basm
Diploma Seminar W14
Final paper
[t]his classic was written to clarify the discrepancies between British and American English
and to define the distinguishing characteristics of American English. Menckens
groundbreaking study was undoubtedly the most scientific linguistic work on the American
language to date and continues to serve as a definitive resource in the field.

(Bartleby, 2000)
While reading a Preface to this book, it is obvious that Mencken wanted to change the
position of American English in the world and underline its contribution to the English
language in general (Mencken, 1921, p. 1-10).
Exploring the concept of standardization it is obvious that this notion was and still is
important. It is also underlined by the tendency captured by Lynda Mugglestone in the book
The Oxford History of English where she states that [e]qually, in the UK and other parts of
the world, US usage and slang had become so easy to adopt and so familiar that no one any
longer recalled their origins (Mugglestone, L., 2006, p.376). It implies that languages can
easily change and easily lose their history, therefore it is enriching and helpful to prevent destandardization of languages. In some cases this task gets difficult since languages are
considered to be living organisms, and as such they change. These processes of change cause
the loss of their origins and history. Moreover, it also underlines the need to study and
preserve the rules and differences.
It is particularly important to devote attention to those notions which are disappearing
as there may disappear the possibility of researching and studying a certain subject later on.
One of these peculiarities between American and British English is the use of subjunctive
mood. First of all it is rudimental to define and exemplify this notion.
According to the web page of Oxford Dictionary subjunctive mood is [r]elating to or
denoting a mood of verbs expressing what is imagined or wished or possible and origin of
the word dates from mid 16th century: from French subjonctif, -ive or late Latin

Mria Drobkov
2Basm
Diploma Seminar W14
Final paper

subjunctivus, from subjungere (see subjoin), rendering Greek hupotaktikos 'subjoined'

(Oxford Dictionaries, 2014, par. 1-3). Examples of verbs in subjunctive mood are in bold in
the following sentences:
I suggest that he examine the proposal carefully.
They demanded that he leave immediately.
I ask that you be vigilant about security.
It is vital that we accept this offer.
(English at Home, par. 4)

Singularity of the subjunctive mood is highlighted by its rare occurrence in the

language. There are moods which are more frequent, the most common moods in English
include the indicative, the imperative, the interrogative, and the conditional. Uniqueness of
this notion as well as consequent complication while studying it are pointed out by Doctor
Wheeler who states that
rarer mood is the subjunctive mood (indicating a hypothetical state or a state contrary
to reality, such as a wish, a desire, or an imaginary situation). It is harder to explain the
subjunctive. Five hundred years ago, English had a highly developed subjunctive mood.
However, after the fourteenth century, speakers of English used the subjunctive less
frequently. Today, the mood has practically vanished; modern speakers tend to use the
conditional forms of "could" and "would" to indicate statements contrary to reality. The
subjunctive only survives in a few, fossilized examples, so they can be confusing.

(Wheeler, 1998-2014)
In order to explore the notion of subjective mood, Wheeler provides examples and
explanations of different types of the subjunctive mood and compares it to the indicative
mood. Indicative mood is according to Merriam-Webster Learners Dictionary of or relating
to the verb form that is used to state a fact that can be known or proved and the example is I
walked to school (Merriam-Webster, 2014, under Indicative). Since there is not enough
space within the realms of the paper to provide research of high quality and extent, the paper

Mria Drobkov
2Basm
Diploma Seminar W14
Final paper

uses and presents data and research provided by Wheeler. These data appropriately covers
various cases of the subjunctive mood and serve properly for the needs of this paper. Wheeler
offers the following five different types of use of the subjunctive mood:
1. By far the most common use of the subjunctive is the use of the subjunctive after "if"
clauses that state or describe a hypothetical situation.
Subjunctive: "If I were a butterfly, I would have wings." Note that in the indicative, we
normally write, "I was." For instance, "When I was a young boy, I liked to swim." However, to
indicate the subjunctive, we write "I were." The subjunctive indicates a statement contrary to fact. In
the butterfly example above, I am not really a butterfly, but I am describing a hypothetical situation
that might occur if I were one.
Indicative: "When I was a butterfly in a former life, I had wings." In this sentence, the author
uses the indicative to indicate that she indeed was a butterfly in the past, and she is not just
hypothetically speaking about a situation contrary to her reality. Note that "when" usually takes the
indicative after it, and "if" frequently takes the subjunctive.
2. The subjunctive also survives in a few idiomatic phrases in English as well. For instance,
when someone sneezes, we say, "God bless you," or "Bless you," rather than "God blesses you." In
this case, examine the subjunctive phrase and contrast it with the indicative.
Subjunctive: "You sneezed! God bless you." In the subjunctive, the phrase indicates a hope or
desire that God bless the sneezing individual. Obviously, God isn't blessing that person at the moment,
because the person is sick, so the subjunctive indicates a wish contrary to current reality in the
speaker's viewpoint.
Indicative: "God blesses you each day." In the indicative, the author indicates that God really
does bless the individual. This speaker uses the indicative to reflect what he sees as reality; i.e., God
blesses people.

Mria Drobkov
2Basm
Diploma Seminar W14
Final paper
3. Finally, the subjunctive can also appear in restrictive clauses after phrases like I wish that, I
hope that, I desire that, or I suggest that, when the speaker wishes to emphasize the tentative,
contingent, suppositional, or unreal nature of that wish, hope, or suggestion.
Subjunctive: "I suggest that John arrive on Tuesdays this month." The day for the weekly
arrival is a mere suggestion, a hypothetical idea that John might or might not follow. The statement
does not necessarily mean he will arrive at that time each week. Thus is is subjunctive, not indicative.
Indicative: "I believe that the train arrives on Tuesdays during this month." The indicative
states a fact the speaker believes is true. The train indeed arrives on Tuesdays each week of this month.
Subjunctive: "She wishes that Americans in the South were more formal today." The
subjunctive indicates that, in fact, Americans are not formal today. The wish states a desire for an
unreal state that does not reflect the current situation.
Indicative: "She thinks that Americans in the South are more formal than most Americans
today." Now the speaker has made a statement in the indicative, which implies that the statement
reflects or indicates what reality is actually like. Note, however, that sometimes the indicative appears
after "if"-clauses when the speaker wishes to indicate that the possibility is quite realistic.
Indicative: "If he brings Martha to Kosovo for the honeymoon (and he probably will), she will
be upset." A good hint that the first clause should be indicative is the verb "will" in the second clause,
which hints at a statement of reality.
Subjunctive: "If he were to bring Martha to Kosovo for the honeymoon, she might be upset."
(He might or might not bring her; it is only a possibility. The verb "might" in the last part of the
sentence strongly hints that the situation is hypothetical; thus we use subjunctive in the first clause.)
4. Either the subjunctive or the indicative can appear after phrases or clauses including
"might" and "may."

Mria Drobkov
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Indicative: "A car will crash into his house if he builds it on Interstate-40." The sentence above
indicates a real possibility that he is building his house on Interstate-40, and thus a car very likely will
crash into it. Thus, it is indicative about reality.
Subjunctive: "A car might crash into his house if he were to build it on Interstate-40." The
sentence above using the subjunctive suggests that it is unlikely he actually is building his house on
Interstate-40, but instead the speaker brings up the scenario as a hypothetical situation.
5. Finally, one more situation creates the subjunctive mood. The word "let" can be used to
indicate the desire that some hypothetical situation come to pass or grant permission for this
hypothetical situation to take place. This is called a "jussive subjunctive."
Indicate: That peasant eats cake every day.
Subjunctive: Let that peasant eat cake every day.

(Wheeler, 1998-2014)
Alexander Bergs and Lena Heine in their book Mood in the Languages of Europe
support the claim that the subjunctive is a rare notion needed to be studied. They state that
[t]he subjunctive form has nearly completely vanished from the Modern English verbal
paradigm, so most grammars of English do not reserve much space for its discussion (Bergs,
A., Heine, L., edited by Rothstein, B., Thieroff, R., 2010, p. 110). This emphasizes the need of
an interest in studying this subject as not many linguists devote their researches to it. Libue
Dukov also highlights the fact that the notion of the subjunctive mood has been studied only
marginally (Dukov, L., 1988, p. 248).
In spite of the fact that the subjunctive mood is studied only marginally, some scholars
still research it. One of the researches claims that the subjunctive mood is more frequent in
American English. The web page of English at Home says that [t]he subjunctive is more

Mria Drobkov
2Basm
Diploma Seminar W14
Final paper

common in American English and formal British English than it is in spoken or informal
British English. It's used to refer to situations that are not real (but are desirable) or
hypothetical situations (English at Home, par. 2). Furthermore, the same issue is discussed
by Janiston who states
(AE)Use of the Subjunctive In American English. It is particularly common to use subjunctive
after words like essential, vital, important, suggest, insist, demand, recommend, ask, advice
etc. (Subjunctive is a special kind of present tense which has no -s in the third person singular.
It is commonly used in that clauses after words which express the idea that something is
important or desirable.) In British English the subjunctive is formal and unusual. British
people normally use should + Infinitive or ordinary present and past tenses. It is essential that
every child get an opportunity to learn.

(Janiston, 2009, par. 1)

More frequent use, mentioned by Janiston, correlates with higher level of uniformity
of American English. It is proven by Edward Finegan in the book A History of English
language that American English poses a higher degree of uniformity. The book also points out
that American English speakers use more standardized pronunciation than British English
speakers (Hogg, R., Denison, D., 2006, p.388-390). This means that American English is
more standardized than British one, since standardization means that grammar is set and
preserved. This relates the standardization to more frequent use and preservation of the
subjunctive mood in American English as it was standardized after the War of Independence.
Consequently, the subjunctive mood remained in American English more usual than in British
English.
To conclude, the findings of this non-extensive research are that American English is
of a higher degree of uniformity and standardization than the British English. This fact is also
underlined by more frequent use of the subjunctive mood in English. Throughout the paper,
the notion of subjunctive mood is explained from various points of views, it is exemplified

Mria Drobkov
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and compared to other moods, what in a way underlines of the difficulties of studying and
exploring the notion. The paper also provides claims in favour of the tendency for
standardizing languages. Despite these findings, it is obvious that the subject needs much
more comprehensive research and supplement of other relevant data and sources concerning
the topic. These data should be provided also in favour and against the notions and claims
being proven. The paper certainly opens a space for further research and if more data are to be
studied, the topic may be enriched with additional interesting findings.

Mria Drobkov
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