'If there be an...' Why be?
I'm reading the 'For whom the bell tolls' now and there're two sentences that are eating me up as follows:
1) "But what does it smell like?" Fernando asked. " What odor has it? If there be an odor it must be a definite odor."
2) "then," Pilar went on, "it is important that the day be in autumn with rain, or at least some fog, or early winter even now thou shouldst continue to walk...
Could anyone possibly explain this to me or provide with some additional info on the subject
In both sentences? Anyway could you give more explicit answer?
If you look up the word "subjunctive", it you should get your explanation. In the first sentence, the subjunctive is used to express possibility. In the second, it's used to express necessity.
I know what 'subjunctive' is. Simply I was explained different and I wanted that native-speakers would clarify this
This is archaic English. Why worry yourself about it?
Amateur:
<<I know what 'subjunctive' is. Simply I was explained different and I wanted that native-speakers would clarify this>>
Obviously, you don't fully understand the subjunctive, or you wouldn't be asking about it. I guess what you mean is "I've been given one explanation of what the subjunctive is, but it doesn't seem to match how it is used here". We can't clarify what confusion you have between its usage in the book and how it was explained to you without knowing what the conflict is.
On another note, if you'll permit me to offer a correction, "want" doesn't work with "would"; you can say "I hoped that native speakers would clarify this" or "I wanted native speakers to clarify this".
Guest
<<This is archaic English. Why worry yourself about it?>>
The first one is mostly archaic, but the second one most certainly is not. "It is important important that the day is" means something completely different from "It is important that the day be". Anyone who doesn't understand the difference has not fully mastered English.
Don't bother, you'll never get it right. If you can't look it up and find out for yourself our explanations will not change anything. The subjunctive is rather complicated and given the level of English exhibited in your post I doubt you are capable of using correctly. To be honest no one will ever care if you don't use it correctly so you may as well just give up. Just don't use it at all. Sure it will be incorrect, but you're a long way from fooling anyone into thinking your English is good, so maybe you should leave it for later. Like after you've learnt about articles, basic punctuation and capitalisation.
Haa!! a demotivator. Thanx for your sharp criticism. I do like it.
Firstly, I am not trying to fool anyone in any way that's why my nick's Amateur ;-) Moreover, if I used really good English with people I happen to meet and work with I wouldn't be understood, that's for sure.
So, I don't give a damn about how good my English is! English is simply my hobby :-Ъ
Secondly, I am sorry for my being secretive about real conflict or backround of the situation I have.
<<I guess what you mean is "I've been given one explanation of what the subjunctive is, but it doesn't seem to match how it is used here".>>
You guessed wrong. I was told that in those two sentences 'should' is omitted simply and that such thing is called 'hiatus'.
Should you have any more criticism I'd be glad to read it
Maybe its 'cause he be a pirate and all pirates, no matter where they be from, use "be" whereever possible.
To be:
I be
You be
we be
they be
harrr
"I wanted that native-speakers would clarify this"
But he's trying to say things in the subjunctive that don't really need it in English, very Romance-y.
Fellows, you're damn fuckin' wit!
To be:
I be
You be
we be
they be
Isn't that ebonics?
That is the subjunctive. The present subjunctive of 'be' is 'be' and the past subjunctive of 'be' is 'were', as in "I wish I were an Oscar Meyer wiener."
The subjunctive involves a question of what if, as opposed to the indicative which involves a question of what is.
In everyday speech, native speakers generally do not carefully distinguish the subjunctive and the indicative.