Forms Expressing Unreality in Different Types of Subordinate Clauses

Type of clause

Principal clause

Conjunction

Subordinate clause

Example

Subject clause

It is (was) necessary, important, advisable, requested, urgent, arranged

that

smb should do smth

smb do smth

It had been arranged that the library should supply all out of town students with the necessary

books (that the library supply).

It was important that he should be informed at once (that he be informed).

It is (was) natural, strange, odd, curious, doubtful, impossible

that

smb should do smth

smb should have done smth

It’s only natural that she should feel offended.

It’s curious that she should have been there.

It is/was possible

that

smb may do smth

smb may have done smth

smb might do smth

It is possible that she may know it.

It is possible that she may have heard it.

It was possible that she might return.

It is/was time (about time, high time)

-

smb did smth

It is time you knew it.

It was high time they learned it.

Predicative clause

Smb (smth) looks (looked), feels (felt), seems (seemed) is (not)/was (not)

as if

as though

smb did smth

smb had done smth

You look as if you had been running.

She felt as if she were a child.

It looks as if they were out.

It is not as if I had promised.

It is as if my life were over.

The order / request / demand / suggestion / plan / wish is (was)

that

smb should do smth

smb do smth

Her only request was that we should keep the door locked (that we keep the door).

My suggestion is that we try again (that we should try again).

Object clause

Smb demands (ed), suggests (ed), insists (ed), arranges (ed)

that

smb should do smth

smb do smth

Do you suggest that he should be the one to do it? (that he be the one …).

She demanded that I should stop the car (that I stop the car).

Smb feels (felt) it strange / find (found) it curious / considers (ed) it natural / believes (ed) it doubtful

that

smb does / did / had done smth

smb should do / have done smth

I find it curious that she does not write (that she should not write).

She believed it natural that she was tired in the evening (that she should be tired).

Smb feels (felt) it important / finds (found) it necessary / considers (ed) it advisable / believes (ed) it better

that

smb should do smth

smb do smth

Do you find it necessary that somebody should stay at the camp? (that somebody stay …)

She felt it advisable that they should be told (that they be told).

Smb wishes (wished)

smb did smth

smb had done smth

smb would do smth

I wish you did not interfere.

You’ll wish you had stayed at home.

Adverbial clause of purpose

Smb does smth / will do smth / did smth

lest

so that

smb should do smth

smb do smth

smb should not do smth

Here’s my address lest you should forget it (lest you forget it).

Here’s my address so that you should not forget it.

Smb does smth / will do smth / did smth

so that

smb may / can do smth

smb might / could do smth

I’ll show you the letter so that you may (can) see for yourself.

I left a note so that they might (could) know where we were.

Adverbial clause of comparison

Smb does smth / will do smth / did smth

as if

as though

smb did smth

smb had done smth

You speak as if you knew all about it.

She treated me as though I had offended her.

Appositive clause

The order / request / suggestion / fear / plan / idea / wish is (was)

that

smb should do smth

smb do smth

He told me about the rule that every student should write four grammar tests a year (that every student write).

The plan that we should wait for them at the camp was suggested by him (that we wait…).