going to, for and since for Time & Subjunctive Mood

  • going to

I am going to buy a new car.
Going to is not a tense. It is a special structure that we use to talk about the future.
The structure of going to is:
subject+be+going+to-infinitive
The verb be is conjugated. Look at these examples:
subjectbenotgoingto-infinitive
Iamgoingto buya new car.
I'mgoingto goswimming.
Heisnotgoingto takethe exam.
Itisn'tgoingto rain.
Areyougoingto paintthe house?

How do we use going to?

going to for intention

We use going to when we have the intention to do something before we speak. We have already made a decision before speaking. Look at these examples:
  • Jo has won the lottery. He says he's going to buy a Porsche.
  • We're not going to paint our bedroom tomorrow.
  • When are you going to go on holiday?
In these examples, we had an intention or plan before speaking. The decision was made before speaking.

going to for prediction

We often use going to to make a prediction about the future. Our prediction is based on present evidence. We are saying what we think will happen. Here are some examples:
  • The sky is very black. It's going to snow.
  • It's 8.30! You're going to miss your train!
  • I crashed the company car. My boss isn't going to be very happy!
In these examples, the present situation (black sky, the time, damaged car) gives us a good idea of what is going to happen.
Note that we can also use going to with be in other tenses, for example:
  • I was going to tell him but I forgot.
  • I had been going to fix the car for ages.

  • for and since for Time

We lived there for five years.
He has been away since Tuesday.
We often use for and since when talking about time.
for + period: a "period" is a duration of time - five minutes, two weeks, six years. For means "from the beginning of the period to the end of the period".
since + point: a "point" is a precise moment in time - 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday. Since means "from a point in the past until now".
Look at these examples:
for
a period
from start to end		since
a point
from then to now
>===<x===>|
for 20 minutes
for three days
for 6 months
for 4 years
for 2 centuries
for a long time
for ever		since 9am
since Monday
since January
since 1997
since 1500
since I left school
since the beginning of time
all tensesperfect tenses

for

For can be used with all tenses. Here are a few examples:
  • They study for two hours every day.
  • They are studying for three hours today.
  • He has lived in Bangkok for a long time.
  • He has been living in Paris for three months.
  • I worked at that bank for five years.
  • Will the universe continue for ever?
We do not use for with "all day", "all the time":
  • I was there all day. (not for all day)

since

Since is normally used with perfect tenses:
  • He has been here since 9am.
  • He has been working since he arrived.
  • I had lived in New York since my childhood.
We also use since in the structure "It is [period] since":
  • It was a year since I had seen her.
  • How long is it since you got married?
Both for and since also have other meanings, with no reference to time. Here are some examples:
  • This is for you.
  • Is this the train for London?
  • Since you ask, I'll say yes.
  • Since he didn't study, he didn't pass the exam.

  • Subjunctive

She insists that he come.
The English subjunctive is a special, relatively rare verb form that expresses something desired or imagined.
We use the subjunctive mainly when talking about events that are not certain to happen. For example, we use the subjunctive when talking about events that somebody:
  • wants to happen
  • anticipates will happen
  • imagines happening

Base Subjunctive

Form of base subjunctive

The form of the base subjunctive is extremely simple. For all verbs and all persons, the form is the base of the verb, for example: be, have, do, go, sing, work
The base subjunctive does not use any other forms (goes, sings, works).
This table shows the base subjunctive in all persons, using the verbs be, work and sing as examples:
base-subjunctive
beworksing
Ibeworksing
youbeworksing
he, she, itbeworksing
webeworksing
youbeworksing
theybeworksing
Note that the subjunctive does not change at all according to person (I, you, he etc).

Use of base subjunctive

In certain that clauses

The base subjunctive is typically used in that clauses after two structures:
1. suggest-verb (or noun) + that
  • advise, ask, command, demand, desire, insist, order, prefer, propose, recommend, request, suggest
  • command, demand, order, proposal, recommendation, request, suggestion
2. advisable/anxious-adjective + that
  • advisable, best, crucial, desirable, essential, imperative, important, necessary, unthinkable, urgent, vital
  • adamant, anxious, determined, eager, keen
Look at these sentences which include examples of the above:
main clause
suggest-verb		that clause
with subjunctive
Hesuggeststhatyoubepresent at the meeting.
The boardrecommendthathejointhe company.
Herequestedthatthe car parknotbelocked at night.
main clause
suggest-noun		that clause
with subjunctive
They made asuggestionthatwebeearly.
He made aproposalthatthe companybuymore land.
The president has issued anorderthatthe secretaryresignnext month.
main clause
advisable-adjective		that clause
with subjunctive
It isadvisablethatsherestfor a week.
It wasessentialthatthe armyadvancerapidly.
After the landing, it will bevitalthatevery soldiernotusea radio.
main clause
anxious-adjective		that clause
with subjunctive
Tara isanxiousthatyoureturnsoon.
They arekeenthathenotbehurt.
We weredeterminedthatitremainsecret.
Notice above↑:
  • the position of not when creating negation
  • that the main clause can be in any tense
Look at some more examples, which include that clauses in negative and continuous form:
  • The judges order that he stay the execution.
  • We have made a request that we not be disturbed.
  • It is important that a car be waiting when we arrive.
  • The manager was eager that his visitor see the new building.
  • The board of directors recommended that he not be dismissed.
  • Have you seen my suggestion that work hours be reduced?
The use of the subjunctive as above is more common in American English than in British English, where should structures are often used:
  • It was essential that we should vote the following day.
  • He requested that the car park should not be locked at night.

be after if

We sometimes use subjunctive be after if/whether, though this is rather formal, especially in British English:
If thatbe(not)the case,I intend to report the matter.
Whether hebeprepared or not,
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.William Shakespeare

Fixed expressions

Note the following fixed expressions with the subjunctive:
  • Bless you!
  • God bless America!
  • God save the Queen.
  • Long live the President!
  • Heaven forbid!
  • Heaven help us!

were-Subjunctive

Form of were-subjunctive

were-subjunctive
be
Iwere
youwere
he, she, itwere
wewere
youwere
theywere
Note that the subjunctive does not change according to person (I, you, he etc).

Use of were-subjunctive

In the following examples, you can see that we sometimes use the were-subjunctive (instead of was) after:
  • if
  • as if
  • wish
  • suppose
Note that in these cases were is always correct, but was is possible in informal language:
Formal with wereInformal with was
I would go if I were younger.I would go if I was younger.
If he were not so mean, he would buy one.If he wasn't so mean, he would buy one.
I'd tell her if I were you.We do not normally say "if I was you" even in colloquial language.
It's not as if I were ugly.It's not as if I was ugly.
She acts as if she were the Queen.She acts as if she was the Queen.
I wish I weren't so slow!I wish I wasn't so slow!
I wish the computer were working.I wish the computer was working.
Suppose she were here. What would you say?Suppose she was here. What would you say?
If I Were a Rich ManFiddler on the Roof
If I were a boyBeyoncé
If I were a carpenter
And you were a lady,
Would you marry me anyway?
Would you have my baby?Tim Hardin
Strange as it may seem, although the words hope and wish seem to be similar, we do not use the subjunctive with hope. Correct sentences with hope would be, for example:
  • I hope that this computer works.
  • I hope that this computer is working.
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