Words and Phrases.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20418, 24 September 1934, Page 6

Words and Phrases.

“ INTERESTED ” writes:—(l) Do any words except “ if ” introduce the subjunctive mood necessitating the use of the verb “were”? (2) Is there any rule for the use of “should” and "would”? In the sentence “ There are a hundred sheep there, I should say,” “ should ” means “ would,” but generally “ should ” means “ought to"; for example, “You should play,” i.e., “ You ought to play.” The subjunctive mood may employ if, that, though, lest, unless, until and other words. The answer to (1) is Yes. In the optative mood (expressing desire or wish) w e have “ Would that he w'ere here.” Should is used as an auxiliary verb to express a conditional or contingent act or state, or as a supposition of an actual fact; but it is also used to express moral obligation. In the first case you have conditional sentences like “ Should it rain,” and in the second a question, “ Should auld acquaintance be forgot?” Both ought and should imply obligation, but ought is the stronger. Should may imply merely an obligation or proprietv, expediency and so on; but ought denotes an obligation of duty. After a conditional conjunction (if, whether and so on) shall is used in all persons to express futurity simplv, and should is used, as the imperfect of shall, in the same sense. Would, as the preterite of will, is chiefly employed in conditional, subjunctive or optative senses, as “he would go if he could”; “he could go if he would”; “he said he would go”; ”1 would that I were young again.” TOUCHSTONE.