Mandative Subjunctive Explained

Mastering the Mandative Subjunctive in Formal English

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• Mandative subjunctive explained
• Formal English grammar rules
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The mandative subjunctive is a special verb form used in formal English, particularly after verbs that express a demand, recommendation, suggestion, or necessity. This grammatical structure is essential for achieving proficiency in formal writing and high-level English examinations.

What Exactly is the Mandative Subjunctive?

In formal writing and speech, when we use certain verbs like recommend, insist, demand, suggest, ask, they are often followed by a clause that starts with that, and the verb in this clause appears in its base form (bare infinitive), regardless of the subject.

Examples:

"The committee recommended that he receive the award."

"I insist that she be present at the meeting."

Common Verbs That Trigger the Mandative Subjunctive

These verbs typically require the subjunctive mood in formal contexts when followed by a that-clause:

recommend

suggest

insist

ask

demand

propose

advise

request

prefer

require

urge

order

Grammatical Structure

The formula for the mandative subjunctive is straightforward:

Subject + Trigger Verb + "that" + Subject + Base Form of Verb

Correct Usage:

"The teacher suggested that he study harder."

"I insist that she be present."

"They demanded that the rule change."

"The manager recommended that the employee attend the training."

Incorrect Usage:

❌ "The committee recommended that he receives the award."

❌ "I insist that she is present."

❌ "They demanded that the rule changes."

Why the Mandative Subjunctive Matters

This structure is particularly important for:

• Academic writing - Essential for research papers and formal essays
• Legal documents - Used in contracts and official statements
• Professional communication - Important for business emails and reports
• High-level English exams - Crucial for CPE and IELTS Band 8+

Cambridge Exam Relevance

This grammatical structure is especially important at C1 and C2 levels of English learning, including:

• Cambridge Proficiency (CPE)
• IELTS (Band 8 and above)
• TOEFL (Advanced level)
• Other proficiency examinations

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding of the mandative subjunctive with these exercises:

1. The judge ordered that the defendant ____ present at the hearing.

Correct: be ("The judge ordered that the defendant be present at the hearing.")

2. The principal suggested that the student ____ a break before the exam.

Correct: take ("The principal suggested that the student take a break before the exam.")

3. She insists that he ____ on time for the meeting.

Correct: arrive ("She insists that he arrive on time for the meeting.")

4. The board demanded that the policy ____ immediately.

Correct: change ("The board demanded that the policy change immediately.")

Additional Resources

For further study on the mandative subjunctive, consult these authoritative sources:

• Oxford Learner's Dictionary - Mandative Subjunctive

About ENNglish.com

ENNglish.com, founded by Kesari Sir, provides comprehensive English language resources for advanced learners. Our methodology combines traditional grammar instruction with modern teaching techniques to help students master complex grammatical concepts like the mandative subjunctive.

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