The English subjunctive appears in certain formal situations, especially after verbs that express importance, suggestions, or wishes. It’s not very common in everyday conversation, which is why many learners (and even native speakers) find it confusing.
The subjunctive uses the base form of the verb: the verb with no “to” and no “-s” (be, start, rest), even after he, she or it. For wishes about things that are not real, we use were.
After verbs like suggest, insist, demand, recommend, request, propose, we often use:
that + person/thing + base form
British vs. American English:
We use the same structure after adjectives like essential, important, necessary, vital.
We traditionally use were for all persons (I, he, she, it):
Important note: In everyday modern English, many people say “I wish I was…”. It is widely used and accepted in conversation, but “I wish I were” remains the formal form.
In casual English, people often use the normal present form instead:
These forms are common in conversation, but in formal writing the subjunctive (or should in British English) is still preferred.
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