Use these forms (Past and Past Perfect) after the following expressions and

verbs:

If only

!!Would rather + Subject + Past Simple/ Continuous -> it refers to the present

!!Would sooner It’s time/ you went to bed now./

(E timpul ca tu sa mergi la culcare acum)

It’s time

It’s high time E.g. I would sooner she ... me in this moment.

It’s about time a) were helping (use WERE for all persons)

As if

As though

Suppose

Supposing

+ Subject + Past Perfect Simple/ Continuous -> it refers to

the past

I wish/ I had studied more last year./

(As vrea sa fi studiat mai mult anul trecut)

!!!Wish

E.g. I regret telling her all my secrets last month.

b) If only I hadn’t told her all my secrets last month.

Compare:

!!!!! two different subjects (WOULD RATHER/ WOULD SOONER)

S1 + WOULD RATHER/ WOULD SOONER + S2 + PAST / PAST PERFECT

1. I’d rather |you went alone. ( when referring to present)

2. I’d rather |you had gone alone last week. (when referring to past)

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 E.g. I would have preferred you to go to the party last night. b) I’d rather you had gone to
the party last night. (past)

!!!!!! ONE subject (WOULD RATHER/ WOULD SOONER)

S + WOULD RATHER/ WOULD SOONER + Short Infinitive/ Perfect Short Infinitive

1. I’d rather go alone./ I would rather not go alone.(use Short Inf. for present) (the same
subject)

I would rather ... shopping alone (now).

a) go (Short Inf. for present)

2. I’d rather (not) have gone alone. (use Perfect Short Infinitive for past)

I would rather ... alone last year.

a) have gone (past)

I’d sooner ... my homework than ... so much on the phone yesterday.

c) have done/ talked

d) had done/ talked

OVERVIEW

I would rather they talked with me now. => S1 + WOULD RATHER/

WOULD SOONER + S2 + PAST

I would rather they had talked with me last week. => S1 + WOULD
RATHER/ WOULD SOONER + S2 + PAST PERFECT

I would rather talk with them now. => S + WOULD RATHER/ WOULD
SOONER + Short Infinitive

I would rather have talked with them last week. => S + WOULD RATHER/ WOULD
SOONER + Perfect Short Infinitive

Use WOULD after wish when expressing annoyance. ATTENTION there must be TWO
DIFFERENT SUBJECTS:

!!! S1+ WISH + S2 + WOULD + Vb. Inf. (present)

S1 + WISH + S2 + WOULD + HAVE + VB. III/-ED (past)

She is always talking and I’d like her to stop.

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a) I wish she would stop talking.

I wish they ... teasing me when I was in school.

c) would have stopped

They wish they ... so much because it is a nuisance.

a) didn’t study

b) wouldn’t study (you can’t use WOULD IF you have THE SAME SUBJECT)

GROUP 2:
FORM:

o Short Infinitive
o Should + Infinitive

Use these forms (Short Infinitive and SHOULD + Short Infinitive) after the
following expressions:

It’s good/bad

It’s necessary/unnecessary + (THAT) + S + Should + Vb.Short Inf.

It’s odd/strange It’s odd that we should meet/ meet. (for present)

!!It’s a shame/pity

It’s likely/unlikely + (THAT) + S + Vb. Short Inf.

It’s great I demand that you go/ should go. (for present)

It’s amazing

It’s + Adj. + (THAT) + S + Should + Have + Vb. III/-ed

Demand/request/!!suggest It’s/was odd that we should have met there last

weekend. (for past)

Insist/urge/propose/ask

Lest (ca nu cumva sa)+ S + should vb. Short Inf./ vb. Short Inf./ might vb. Short Inf.

LEST - no negation after

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 - SHOULD + Vb. Short Infinitive

- Verb Short Infinitive

- MIGHT + Vb. Short Infinitive

Noun + ,THAT + S + vb. Inf./should + vb. Short Inf., + Predicate. (Atributiva)

My proposal, that he be/should be promoted , was rejected.

Her dream, that they promote her, has not become reality.

Their demands, that we should give them money, were not met.

Her wish, that he ... her, did not come true in the end.

a) marry

!!!!!It’s a pity/ shame -> can be used with a verb in the Indicative Mood IF the action is
real.

It’s a shame that she hasn’t come because she would have enjoyed herself.

E pacat ca e nu a venit pentru ca s-ar fi distrat. (she didn’t come for real) (INDICATIVE
MOOD)

-> can be used with SHOULD/ Short Infinitive in the Subjunctive

Mood IF the action is unreal.

It’s a shame that she should not come because we would need her help.

Ar fi pacat ca ea sa nu vina pentru ca am avea nevoie de ajutorul ei. (speculation for

something that hasn’t happened) (SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD)

After SUGGEST use the following structures:

!!!!! He suggested going to the cinema. (Verb –ING)

He suggested that we should go to the cinema. (THAT + S + SHOULD + Vb. Short

Infinitive)

He suggested that we go to the cinema. (THAT + S + Vb. Short Infinitive)

Expressions with the Subjunctive:

Come what may! = Fie ce-o fi!

So be it! = Asa sa fie!

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School be hanged! = S-o ia naiba de scoala!

Far be it from me to want to kiss you. = Departe de mine sa vreau ...

Be that as it may. = Chiar daca e asa.

God bless you! = Dumnezeu sa te binecuvanteze!

Long live the king! = Traiasca regele!

Suffice it to say… = E de ajuns sa spun ...

May you have a happy life! = Fie sa ai ...

May the Force be with you! = Forta fie cu tine!

Heaven forbid! = Doamne fereste!

E.g. I have decided that whatever happens, I’ll go to Italy next summer.

a)I have decided that come what may, I’ll go to Italy next summer.

Requests:

Somebody help me. = Sa vina cineva sa ma ajute (Subjunctive Mood) /

Somebody helps me every day. = Cineva ma ajuta in fiecare zi.(Indicative Mood)

Somebody come and get this.

The Subjunctive with may/ might

WISH

IT’S POSSIBLE + may/ might + Vb. Short Inf.

e.g. He wishes he might have met you.

It’s possible that he may see you.

Whoever

Wherever + may/might+ Vb. Short Inf.

Whenever

Whichever

Whatever

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Never use will or would after “in case”: (it follows the rules of the Sequence of Tenses)

I’ll take my umbrella in case it rains.

I took my umbrella in case it rained.

Take your umbrella in case it rains/ may rain/ will rain/ would rain.

(Present or Imperative or Future + in case + present/ may)

I took my umbrella in case it rained/ might rain/ would rain.

(Past + in case + past/ might)

I prefer sleeping to studying in general./ I prefer beer to vodka. (general

preference) (Vb.-ING + TO + Vb. -ING)

I’d prefer to sleep rather than study today. (particular preference) (Vb. Long
Inf. + RATHER THAN + Vb. Short Inf.)

I’d rather sleep than study.(for present)/ I would rather have slept than (have)
studied yesterday. (for past) (Vb. Short Inf. + THAN + Vb. Short Inf.)

!!!!!!!!! Had better vs. Would rather/ sooner

Had better + Short Infinitive Would rather/ Would sooner + Short

Infinitive

e.g. You had better study at English. -> You’d better study at
English, hadn’t you?

I would rather study at English. -> I’d rather study at English, wouldn’t I?