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6. Verbs II: Modality, Mood, & Voice

Jonathon Reinhardt

⇒ 6.1 Modality

• Modal Auxiliaries
• True modals
• Semi-modals
• Conditional
• Subjunctive

⇒ 6.3 Voice

⇒ 6.4 Modality, mood, and voice in sentences

⇒ 6.5 Modality, mood, and voice in language power techniques

⇒ 6.6 Key points

⇒ 6.7 Key concepts

The purpose of this module is to introduce the basics of verb modality, mood, and voice. Each section is linked to an interactive activity, and the module concludes with comprehensive activities as well as key points and key concepts for review purposes. Activities for this unit are in 6GA. Verbs II: Mood, Modality, & Voice Grammar Activities .

6.1 Modality

• A speaker or writer uses modality in language to express their relationship or attitude towards the quality or truth of a proposition, for example, whether something is possible, probable, or necessary. This can be done through use of modal auxiliaries or by changing the mood of the sentence–between indicative, imperative, conditional, or subjunctive.

6.1.1 Modal auxiliaries

The most common way to show modality is to use modal auxiliaries . They add modality to the lexical verb, expressing futurity, possibility, probability, necessity, permission, obligation, ability, volition, or desire. Compare:

• I like it. → I might like it. 
• She speaks French. → She can speak French.
• Do I go home now? → May I go home now?
• She is going out. → She is allowed to go out.
• They drive . → They have to drive .

6.1.2 True modals

The true modal auxiliaries in English are will, would, shall, should, can, could, may, might , and must . Unlike other verbs, they are not inflected for third person singular present ( -s ). This means that a good test to check if a word is a modal is to confirm that it doesn’t get an s after she , he , or it .

• She can speak.
• She cans speak. (so ‘ can ‘ is a modal)
• He speaks.  (so ‘ speak ‘ is not a modal)

Some modals act as preterite (past) forms for other modals:

• He will go . → He said he would go.
• You can not leave! → He said you could not leave.

As auxiliaries, modals are finite and can show tense, leaving other verbs in a non-finite form.

• She could speak.
• She can spoke.
• We might have gone.
• We will be speaking.

⇒ Go to Activity 6.1.2

6.1.3 semi-modals.

The semi-modals are multi-word verb phrases that add modality to a statement or question, but they act like lexical verbs, not like auxiliaries. Except for a few exceptions, they are followed by the infinitive ‘ to ‘ form of the verb.

• Are you able to take a call right now?
• We used to eat out every weekend.

They allow for more than one modality to be expressed:

• He will be able to go. not He will can go. ( will is a true modal, be able to is a semi-modal)
• You might have to leave earlier. not You might must leave earlier . ( might is a true modal, have to is a semi-modal)

Most semi-modals, unlike regular modals, use verbs like HAVE and BE, which must agree in number and tense with the subject just like their non-modal finite forms. Some semi-modals like ‘ ought to ‘ do not, however.

• She has to be here. not She have to be here.
• We should clean it up → We ought to clean it up. (ought to is a semi-modal, but it does not agree in person and number)

There are about a dozen semi-modals for various functions, for example,

to express obligation:

• (have) got to , e.g. I gotta go !
• be supposed to , e.g. The door ’s supposed to be unlocked .
• have to, e.g. Do you really have to do this right now?
• be to , e.g. You are to ask permission first, young man!
• ought to , e.g. You o ught to know by now.
• need to , e.g. We need to get moving!

to situate an action in time:

• be going to – future plan, e.g. I’ m going to leave .
• be about to – immediate future, e.g. I’ m about to leave .
• be used to – past habitual, e.g. I used to leave at 5 pm.

to express ability:

• be able to , e.g. I was n’t able to finish my paper this evening.

Dare and need are unusual semi-modals because they can be used like true modals and like semi-modals, although they may sound archaic when used like true modals:

• We dare n’t enter the temple without a disguise. (like a true modal)
• They dared   to jump across the lava river. (like a semi-modal)
• You need no longer come on Thursdays. (like a true modal)
• You don’t need to come anymore. (like a semi-modal)

⇒ Go to Activity 6.1.3

Mood is technically a form of modality, that is, a way that speakers or writers express their stance towards a proposition they make or a question they ask, for example, whether they understand something to be probable, possible, or required. Normally to express modality we use the modal auxiliary system as described above in the indicative mood , which is the default mood that we use in everyday language use.

6.2.1 Indicative Mood Indicative mood

Indicative mood is used to make everyday statements, and it is the regular conjugations of all the tenses and aspects covered in chapter 5, including the use of most modal auxiliaries as described in section 6.1, for example:

• What time did you come home?
• The man has left .
• She can speak Spanish.

6.2.2 Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used to make commands and suggestions and to give directives telling others what to do. In English the imperative mood is the bare infinitive , that is, the plain form of the verb without ‘to’.

The first-person imperative is used to make suggestions to a group of people including (presumably) the speaker. It uses the word ‘ Let’s ‘ or ‘ Let us ‘ before the bare infinitive. The negative form puts a ‘ not ‘ between ‘ let’s ‘ and the verb, and the interrogative form uses the words ‘ Shall we ‘.

• Let’s eat !
• Let’s not go down that road
• Shall we eat?

The second-person imperative is used to command one or more people. It is simply the bare infinitive, and the negative is ‘ Don’t ‘ in front of the verb. Often an imperative is followed with an exclamation point, and the ‘ you ‘ is not said, unless the speaker wants to focus the command. If someone uses a second-person imperative without an obvious audience, nearby listeners will wonder who they are speaking to.

• Speak quietly!
• “Just do it”, the advertisement implored. 
• Don’t be an idiot.
• Have a drink!
• You be quiet already!

⇒ Go to Activity 6.2.2

6.2.3 conditional mood.

The conditional mood is how we express hypotheticals or future possibilities that are dependent on another action. The conditional makes use of modal auxiliaries that express possibility and futurity, especially the modal would . It allows speakers or writers to show how likely they think something hypothetical by using certain tense/aspects in a conditional or if-clause and in a result (independent) clause. Sometimes the condition is implied or understood and so is not necessarily in the same sentence as the result, but the if-clause cannot stand alone.

• I would love that.
• She could have left yesterday.
• If you had wanted it.  

If both the if-clause and the result clause are expressed, the if-clause can come either first (followed by a comma) or second (no comma necessary).

• I would love it if you came along.
• If you came along, I would love it.

The if-clause be in the simple present to express future conditions:

• If we go to Paris, we ‘ll visit the Louvre.
• You have to share if you win the powerball. 

The if-clause can be in the preterite form to express hypothetical conditions with uncertain results. Although it’s the past form, it’s not in the past.

• We could buy a bigger house if we won the lottery .
• If I saw Taylor Swift, I ‘d lose my mind. 
• If I was king for just one day, I would give it all away.

The if-clause can be in the past perfect form to express past hypothetical possibilities that the speaker thinks or knows are impossible because they’ve passed.

• If I had seen him, I would have said hello. 
• We would have been peasants if we had been living in the Middle Ages.

A results clause can be in any future tense , expressing a future hypothetical possibility

• If I win the lottery, I ‘m leaving town forever.
• I will bring you a souvenir if I go to Disneyland.

A results clause can also be in the present conditional or present perfect conditional with ‘would’, ‘should’, or ‘could’:

• If only she said she loved me, I would be happy forever .
• I would n’t even tell you if I knew the answer. 
• If you press this button the whole thing could explode .
• If I had been in town, I would have stopped by .
• They should have finished the test by now if they had started on time. 

The if-clause can also drop the ‘if’ and flip the auxiliary and the subject.

• Had I seen him, I would have said hello.
• Should you visit San Francisco, be sure to see the Golden Gate Bridge. 

⇒ Go to Activity 6.2.3

6.2.4 subjunctive mood.

The subjunctive mood in English is used for hypotheticals but is increasingly rare because it is easily replaced by the conditional. It can still be found in older writing and in erudite and formal uses. Traditionally it was used to make imperatives, mandates, and hypotheticals about ideas that were tenseless or timeless.

Long live the King! (i.e., ‘May the King live long’ )

There be giants here (i.e., ‘There might be giants here ‘, found on medieval maps)

The mandative subjunctive is the use of the bare form in subordinate clauses following main clauses  declaring a mandate, like ‘it is necessary that’, ‘require that’, or ‘declare that’:

• It is necessary that she be here at 8 a.m.
• It’s vital that he pass the class.
• I demand he be captured immediately!

Increasingly, however, people say:

• It is necessary that she is here at 8 a.m.
• It’s vital that he passes the class. 

The past subjunctive is used to talk about unlikely hypotheticals. It uses the preterite form like the simple past, except with the verb ‘ be ‘, which is ‘ were ‘ for all persons. ‘ Were ‘ can also be used like ‘had’ in the past conditional and can start the conditional clause.

• If I were king, I would declare my birthday a holiday.
• Were he king, he would declare his birthday a holiday.

Increasingly, however, people just use the past conditional:

• If I was king, I would declare my birthday a holiday.

⇒ Go to Activity 6.2.4

• All sentences in English that use transitive verbs are either in the active voice or the passive voice . Active voice is usual, but the passive voice is not uncommon, and it is not incorrect to use the passive if it is called for.

A sentence must always include a subject and verb (predicate). In the active voice , the subject is normally the agent that performs the action.

• The doctor prescribed antibiotics.
• The dog is chasing the cat.
• The airplane has dropped the bomb.

With a transitive verb, the passive voice turns the object into the subject by using a form of BE + past participle and stating the agent in a by - phrase . Every active voice sentence that uses a transitive verb has a passive equivalent.

• The antibiotics were prescribed by the doctor.
• The cat is being chased by the dog.
• The bomb has been dropped by the airplane.

In passive sentences the by-phrase is optional and may be omitted. Sometimes the agent is unknown, and sometimes the agent is intentionally omitted.

• The cat is acting like she ’s being chased , but there’s nothing there.
• The fence was broken . (by what we may not know)
• The terrorists have been neutralized . (by whom is not specified)

Passive only works with transitive verbs, because there must be an object to become the new subject. Intransitive and linking verbs cannot be passivized.

• The cake looked delicious. The cake was looked delicious.
• We walked down the street. The street was walked down by us. 

⇒ Go to Activity 6.3.0

6.3.1. passive forms.

Passive voice uses a form of BE + Past Participle . Compare this to the progressive and perfect aspects.

passive voice : BE + Past Participle ( French is spoken by her; French was spoken by her )

progressive aspect : BE + Present Participle ( She is speaking French; She was speaking French )

perfect aspect : HAVE + Past Participle ( She has spoken French; She had spoken French )

Passive works with any transitive verb in any tense and aspect by conjugating the BE auxiliary into the desired form and adding the past participle.

• simple present: He speaks the truth → The truth is spoken 
• simple present w/modal: He can speak the truth → The truth can be spoken
• simple past: He spoke the truth → The truth was spoken
• present perfect: He has spoken the truth → The truth has been spoken
• past perfect: He had spoken the truth → The truth had been spoken
• present progressive: He is speaking the truth → The truth is being spoken
• past progressive He was speaking the truth → The truth was being spoken
• present perfect progressive: He has been speaking the truth → The truth has been being spoken .

6.3.1.1 Past participles as adjectives

When past participles are used as participle adjectives they can imply a passivized subject and an unmentioned agent, e.g.

• a broken promise (i.e., someone broke the promise)
• a finished project (i.e., someone finished the project)

But past participles are also used as general adjectives without necessarily implying an active agent

• a lit party
• a stuffed up nose

6.3.1.1 Ditransitive passive

The ditransitive passive can be used when there is both a direct and indirect object . One active form has two possible passive equivalents.

• My mom gave me a present. → A present was given (to) me by my mom.
• My mom gave me a present. → I was given a present by my mom.

6.3.1.2 Prepositional passive

• A prepositional passive can be used where the prepositional complement becomes the new subject.
• Someone took advantage of you. → You were taken advantage of.
• The manager dealt with the issue. → The issue was dealt with (by the manager). 

6.3.1.3 Get-passive

A get passive , with ‘get’ in place of ‘be’ is usually informal with intent to express beneficial or adverse emotion. Compare ‘We were caught’ with ‘We got caught’.

• My entry got chosen.
• We got drenched. 

6.3.1.4 Passive Causative

The passive causative uses ‘get’ or ‘had’ followed by the object, the past participle, and with some verbs an optional ‘be’.

• We had the car detailed.
• I got my nails painted for Halloween.
• They ordered the records (be) destroyed. 

Replacing the ‘get’ in a get-passive with a form of ‘be’ is possible, but not in a passive causative.

• She got mixed up by the directions. ( “She was mixed up by the directions” is okay, so it’s a get-passive) 
• She got her lines mixed up. ( “She was her lines mixed up.” is nonsensical, so it’s not causative)

⇒ Go to Activity 6.3.1

6.4 modality, mood, and voice in sentences.

under construction

6.5 Modality, mood, and voice in language power techniques

6.5.1 modality.

Verb modality shows a speaker or writer’s relationship or attitude towards the quality or truth of a proposition or statement, and modality can be manipulated to appear stronger or weaker than it is. A speaker or writer uses modality to express their stance towards whether, and the degree to which, something is likely, possible, needed, allowed, or desired. The most common language to show modality are modal auxiliaries like can , might , must , etc., but modality can also be shown with intensifier adverbs like ‘ definitely ‘, downplayers or hedges like ‘ kind of ‘, adverbs like ‘ probably ‘, or nouns like ‘ necessity ‘ or ‘ requirement ‘. The modality system in English is used to express politeness , that is, respect or rapport with the addressee or audience. For example, to show respect to someone the speaker may de-commit to a potentially face threatening proposition by using more words, by using hedges, or by using interrogatives rather than commands. Compare:

Give me ten dollars.

Could you loan me ten bucks?

Would you possibly be able to loan me ten dollars?

I’m kind of hoping you could spot me ten bucks.

I’m thinking if you loaned me ten dollars it would be to your benefit.

This shows how speakers can exercise power or even be what is sometimes called ‘passive aggressive’ by using modality and politeness markers in strategic ways. If a speaker shows less commitment or attachment to a suggestion, the listener feels they are given more space to decline–for this reason, ‘ could you ‘ or ‘ would you ‘ is considered more polite than ‘ can you ‘ or ‘ will you ‘. As another example, in English someone giving advice might say ‘ you might want to ‘ to give direction and make suggestions because ‘ you want to ‘ is rather direct, and ‘ might ‘ gives the directee the option to decline. In day to day conversations, power and politeness (face) is negotiated constantly.

The imperative mood — commands — are often used in advertising to suggest or even directly tell the audience what to do. Because ‘you’ can often be read as either generic or specific , a command might be interpreted as either; in other words, the reader or listener thinks, “they could be talking to me”.

As mentioned above, the conditional mood is used often in polite language, because implying a hypothetical is considered indirect and less of an intrusion than a direct command. For example, to be respectfully polite in English we say ‘ Would you like a drink? ‘ as opposed to ‘ Do you want a drink? ‘ or even ‘ Have a drink! ‘ (which is more of a friendly appeal towards rapport ), because the hypothetical nature of the conditional distances the addressee and allows them to refuse politely. Conditional and hypotheticals are common when making requests, invitations, suggestions, and polite directives because they allow for indirectness, for example, ‘ could you please pass me the salt? ‘, or ‘ would you be so kind as to get the door for me? ‘. Since these requests are presented as hypothetical choices, they maintain the addressee’s negative face, or sense of independence and agency.

6.5.3 Voice

Passive voice is useful when the speaker/writer wants the subject to be the recipient of the action. It is used frequently in academic and scientific writing because it provides a sense of objectivity and distance, and it allows the writer to avoid the first person. For example, in “ A new strain of COVID was discovered in Brazil last week ”, it isn’t as important who made the discovery as it is important that a new strain of the deadly disease now exists. By de-emphasizing the actor, passive voice in scientific and technical writing gives importance to the observation, theory,  or discovery rather than the observer, theoretician, or discoverer.

Omission of the ‘by’ phrase can be strategic, for when the writer or speaker wants to present certain information first, or the agent is unknown or irrelevant (in the view of the writer/speaker). It may also that the speaker is trying to avoid assigning responsibility or agency to the actual actor, who they may know. This can be considered a strategy of deflection.

If someone makes a statement and you wonder ‘by whom?’ or ‘by what?’, it may be that they are using passive to avoid mentioning who or what did the action. They may be counting on you not to notice or to accept that you do not need to know. Consider the following:

• Protestors were apprehended at the scene. (Who apprehended them?)
• Shots were fired in response to the incident. (Who fired the shots?)
• Mistakes were made, but rest assured, corrective measures are being implemented. ( Who made the mistakes, and who is implementing the measures?)
• It has been decided that further investigations will be conducted to address the issue. (Who decided? Who will conduct the investigations?)

comprehensive activities under construction

6.6 Key points on verb mood, modality, and voice

• The true modal auxiliaries in English are will, would, shall, should, can, could, may, might , and must . They express futurity, possibility, probability, necessity, permission, obligation, ability, volition, or desire. Unlike other verbs, they are not inflected for third person singular present ( -s ).
• The semi-modals are multi-word verb phrases that add modality to a statement or question, but they act like lexical verbs, not like auxiliaries.
• Normally to express modality we use the modal auxiliary system in the indicative mood , which is the default mood that we use in everyday language use.
• The imperative mood is used to make commands and suggestions and to give directives telling others what to do. In English the second-person imperative mood is the bare infinitive , that is, the plain form of the verb without ‘to’, for example, ‘go away!’. The first person imperative is “ let’s ” followed by the plain form, for example, ‘let’s leave now’.
• The conditional mood is how we express hypotheticals or future possibilities that are dependent on another action. The conditional makes use of modal auxiliaries that express possibility and futurity, especially the modal would .
• The subjunctive mood in English is used for hypotheticals but is increasingly rare because it is easily replaced by the conditional. It can still be found in older writing and in erudite and formal uses.
• With a transitive verb, passivization turns the object into the subject by using a form of BE + past participle and optionally stating the agent in a by - phrase , for example, ‘The book was written by the author’. Every active voice sentence that uses a transitive verb has a passive equivalent.
• Any active sentence using any tense or aspect with a transitive verb can be converted into a passive equivalent.
• Past participles are used as participle adjectives , implying a passivized subject and an unmentioned agent.
• The ditransitive passive can be used when there is both a direct and indirect object .
• A get passive , with ‘get’ in place of ‘be’ is usually informal with intent to express beneficial or adverse emotion.
• The passive causative uses ‘get’ or ‘had’ followed by the object, the past participle, and with some verbs an optional ‘be’. It implies that someone or something did or caused something for someone else (the subject).

6.7 Key concepts on verb modality, mood, and voice

• active voice
• conditional mood
• ditransitive passive
• get passive
• imperative mood
• indicative mood
• modal auxiliaries
• participle adjectives
• passive causative
• semi-modals
• subjunctive mood

Module author: Jonathon Reinhardt

Last updated: 12 April 2024

This module is part of Modern English Grammar and the Power of Language , an open educational resource offered by the Clarify Initiative , a privately funded project with the goal of raising critical language awareness and media literacy among students of language and throughout society.

a system in language used to express relationships or attitudes towards the quality or truth of a proposition, e.g. ability, volition, or possibility

a grammatical feature that indicates modality, often through verbal forms. In English these are indicative, imperative, conditional, and subjunctive.

a helping verb that shows speaker stance towards a main verb. In English they are will, would, shall, should, can, could, may, might, and must.

a helping verb that plays a grammatical function to a main verb. Auxiliaries in English are forms of 'be', 'have', 'do', and the modals.

the past tense form of the verb; with regular verbs the preterite uses the '-ed' ending

multi-word verb phrases that add modality to a statement or question, acting like lexical verbs, not like auxiliaries (e.g. 'be able to', 'have to')

The most common mood in English, used to make general statements and questions.

The mood used to make commands in English. This is the plain form for 2nd person and 'Let's' + plain form for 1st person.

the basic, non-conjugated form of a verb, e.g. 'be' or 'speak'

The mood used to discuss hypotheticals and past, present, and future possibilities; it is typified by the modal 'would'

the conditional or 'if' clause is the dependent clause in a complex sentence; it can also be marked by conjunctions like 'unless' or 'provided that', or by subj-aux inversion.

a mood used in English for hypotheticals; it is increasingly archaic and being replaced by conditional

a verb that requires or 'takes' an object

a form of language use where the subject is the agent

a form of language use where an object becomes the new subject and the original subject and its agency is deemphasized or omitted

the phrase in a passive voice sentence starting with 'by' that indicates the agent, or doer of the action

adjectives made from past participles that may or may not be derived from a passive construction

the passive voice applied to a sentence with both a direct and an indirect object, allowing for two passive possibilities, e.g. 'Flowers were sent her' and 'She was sent flowers' (by someone).

a passive construction that uses 'get' instead of 'be', to emphasize emotion (good or bad)

a passive form using 'get' or 'have' implying that someone or something did or caused something for someone else (the subject)

an adverb that intensifies an adjective's power, e.g. really, very, extremely, or totally

a word or phrase that downplays or lessens commitment to an assertion

a pragmatics system used to maintain or disrupt social harmony by redressing affronts to a person's face, or sense of self-esteem

social distance or differing social status maintained through negative face appeals and avoiding negative face threats

social solidarity or similar social status maintained through positive face appeals and avoiding positive face threats

the use of 'you' to mean 'one' or 'anyone'-- addressing not a specific individual but anyone

the use of 'you' to mean a specific addressee that the speaker/writer knows or implies they know

Modern English Grammar and the Power of Language Copyright © 2023 by Jonathon Reinhardt is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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English Verbs: Tense, Aspect, Mood, and Voice

• Heather Marie Kosur
• Categories : Help with english grammar & vocabulary
• Tags : Homework help & study guides

English Verbs

Unlike many other widely-spoken Indo-European languages such as Spanish and French, the English verb system is largely

periphrastic. Periphrasis, in contrast to inflection, is “a phrase of two or more words used to express a grammatical relationship that could otherwise be expressed by the inflection of a single word.” All English verb forms except for the simple present and simple past are periphrastic.

Although some grammars identify anywhere between twelve and sixteen English tenses, the nineteen finite, or conjugated, verb forms in English express more than just tense. To be more precise, English has:

• Two tenses: present and past
• Four aspects: simple, progressive, perfect, perfect-progressive
• Three moods: indicative, subjunctive, imperative
• Two voices: active and passive

The following sections discuss the tenses, aspects, moods, and voices of the English verb system.

Tense is the expression of location in time of an action or state. Grammatical tense only roughly relates to time. English has only two verb tenses: present and past. The general formula for forming the simple present tense in English is:

The general formula for forming the simple past tense in English is:

The base form of a verb in English is the infinitive without the preposition to functioning as an infinitive marker.

Despite popular belief, English does not have a future tense. Futurity is, instead, expressed through modal verbs, specifically will and shall . For more information on the English modal system, please read the article English Modal Verbs .

Aspect is the expression of the temporal structure of an action or state. Aspect in English expresses ongoing actions or states with or without distinct end points. English has four aspects: simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect-progressive.

Although not always identified, the simple aspect is the default aspect of the simple present and simple past tenses. The simple aspect expresses single actions, habits, and routines. For the formation of the simple present and simple past verbs, please refer to the charts in the “Tense” section.

The progressive aspect expresses incomplete or ongoing actions or states at a specific time. For example, the use of the progressive aspect in I am floating the book indicates that I started floating the book in the past and am still floating the book in the present and presumably the future. The formula for forming the present progressive is [simple present “to be” + present participle]. The formula for forming the past progressive is [simple past “to be” + present participle].

The perfect aspect expresses the consequences resulting from a previous action or state. For example, the use of the perfect aspect in I have floated the book focuses on the end result of my floating the book (my having floated the book) as opposed to the process of floating the book. The formula for forming the present perfect is [simple present “to have” + past participle]. The formula for forming the past perfect is [simple past “to have” + past participle].

The perfect-progressive aspect expresses incomplete or ongoing actions or states that began in the past and continue to a specific time. For example, the use of the perfect-progressive aspect in I had been floating the book indicates that I started floating the book in the past and continued to float the book until a specific point in time at which I stopped floating the book. The formula for forming the present perfect-progressive is [simple present “to have” + past participle “to be” + present participle]. The formula for forming the past perfect-progressive is [simple past “to have” + past participle “to be” + present participle].

Present participles , or -ing forms, are formed by adding the suffix -ing to the base form of a verb. For example, the present participles of eat and read are eating and reading . Past participles , or -en forms, are formed 1.) identically to the -ed past tense, 2.) by adding the suffix -en to the base form, or 3.) with a stem change. For example, the past participles of study , take , and begin are studied , taken , and begun .

Mood is the expression of modality of an action or state. Modality is the expression of possibility, necessity, and contingency. Modality can be expressed through modal verbs as well as through grammatical mood in English. English has three moods: indicative, subjunctive, and imperative.

The indicative mood allows speakers to express assertions, denials, and questions of actuality or strong probability. Most sentences in English are in the indicative mood because the indicative is the most commonly used mood. For example, the statement I read the book and the question Did you read the book? are both sentences in the indicative mood.

The subjunctive mood expresses commands, requests, suggestions, wishes, hypotheses, purposes, doubts, and suppositions that are contrary to fact at the time of the utterance. The form of the present subjunctive is identical to the base form of English verbs. The form of the past subjunctive is identical to the plural simple past indicative. However, the subjunctive is only distinguishable in form from the indicative in the third person singular present subjunctive and with the verb to be in the present subjunctive and the first and third person singular in the past subjunctive.

The imperative mood allows speakers to make direct commands, express requests, and grant or deny permission. The form of the English imperative is identical to the base form of any English verb. The negative form of the English imperative is created by inserting the do operator and the negative adverb not before the base form of the verb.

Voice is the expression of relationships between the predicate and nominal functions. English has two voices: active and passive. In the active voice, the subject performs the action of or acts upon the verb and the direct object receives the action of the verb. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the transitive verb. For example, the sentence I read the book is in the active voice because the subject I performs the action of reading and the direct object the book receives the action of reading. The sentence The book was read [ by me ], on the other hand, is in the passive voice because the subject The book receives the action of reading.

English Verb Charts: Indicative Mood Active Voice

The following verb charts visually organize the formulas for forming the present and past tense forms of the simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect-progressive aspects of English verbs in the indicative mood and active voice:

English Verb Charts: Indicative Mood Passive Voice

The following verb charts visually organize the formulas for forming the present and past tense forms of the simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect-progressive aspects of English verbs in the indicative mood and passive voice:

English Verb Charts: Subjunctive and Imperative Moods

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Shifts in Verb Mood/Voice

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Which sentence is written correctly without a shift in mood or voice?

The teacher will present a review before the students take the test.

The teacher will present a review before the test is taken by the students.

If I was taller, I would tryout for the basketball team.

If I were taller, I would tryout for the basketball team.

The operation was completed by my surgeon, and my general doctor prescribed my medicine.

The surgeon completed the operation, and my general doctor prescribed my medicine.

If she is older, she would understand why we are so worried.

If she were older, she would understand why we are so worried.

He was upset by the D on his report card, but he knew that he hadn’t applied himself this semester.

The D on his report card upset him, but he knew that he hadn’t applied himself this semester.

Paramedics assisted evacuees, while firefighters worked to save the homes.

Evacuees were assisted by paramedics, while firefighters worked to save the homes.

European diseases that they early explorers were immune to killed many Native people.

Many Native people were killed by European diseases that the early explorers were immune to.

If it were up to me, I wouldn’t let anyone near that crystal vase.

If it was up to me, I wouldn’t let anyone near that crystal vase.

All of my friends supported me when I decided to pursue a career in

photography.

I was supported by all of my friends when I decided to pursue a career in photography.

Mindy treated her little brother like a baby, which he did not appreciate.

Mindy treated her little brother like a baby, which was not appreciated by him.

The audience members filled the empty seats and the show began.

The empty seats were filled by the audience members and the show began.

I cooked dinner and my father made the dessert.

I cooked dinner and the dessert was made by my father.

If I were a millionaire, I would buy a house on the island of Maui.

If I was a millionaire, I would buy a house on the island of Maui.

If you were more enthusiastic, I would hire you.

If you were more enthusiastic, I will hire you.

The author will speak for about thirty minutes and will then answer

questions from the audience.

The author will speak for thirty minutes, then questions from the audience will be answered.

What is the verb mood?

You need to do your homework.

interrogative

I might buy those shoes if the price is right.

conditional

subjunctive

I would make the school day shorter if I was the principal.

She walks her two dogs every day.

Why did he want to go to the mall?

If I were taller, I would play basketball..

Did you hear a noise?

This book is three hundred pages long.

She could be happy.

If she won the lottery, she would be happy.

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Subjunctive Mood

What is the subjunctive mood, easy examples of the subjunctive mood.

• If it were me, I'd go.
• I wish it were real.
• It is imperative that the game begin at once.
• I propose he work full time.

Table of Contents

Verb Changes with the Subjunctive Mood

Verbs that attract the subjunctive mood, adjectives that attract the subjunctive mood, set phrases featuring the subjunctive mood, what is mood, video lesson, why the subjunctive mood is important.

• "to command," "to order," "to wish," "to suggest," "to recommend," "to ask," "to insist," and "to demand."

• All we ask of a president is that he be likeable. We seem to have given up on the Pentagon's corrupt use of our tax dollars. (Author Donella Meadows)
• Saddam Hussein systematically violated every UN resolution that demanded he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons. (US politician Henry Waxman)
• Don't make election popularity a matter of which candidate hires the most creative propagandists. Insist that it be a running conversation with the public. (Actor Ron Howard)
• If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater suggest that he wear a tail. (Author Fran Lebowitz)
• "important," "necessary," "imperative," "crucial," and "essential"

• God bless you.
• God save the Queen.
• May The Force be with you. (Star Wars)
• The real scientist is ready to bear hardship and, if needs be , starvation rather than let anyone dictate which direction his work must take. (Biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi)
• The Indicative Mood . This states facts or asks questions. For example:
• They are playing the guitar.
• Are they playing the guitar?
• The Imperative Mood . This expresses a command or a request. For example:
• Play the guitar!
• Please play the guitar.
• The Subjunctive Mood . This shows a wish or doubt. Some more examples:
• I suggest that Lee play the guitar.
• I propose that Lee be asked to play the guitar.
• If I were Lee, I would play the guitar.

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos .

• I demand that he be present.
• It is essential that he is/ be there.
• I must insist that he lower / lowers his voice.
• If you think your verb in the subjunctive mood sounds a little awkward, use it (and enjoy the showing off).
• If you think your verb in the subjunctive mood sounds awful, bin it (and enjoy today's leniency).

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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• Mood Worksheets

Students often confuse tone with mood. These are very similar reading skills, but they are not the same. Tone is the author's attitude toward his or her subject. Mood is the feeling that the author is trying to create in the mind of readers. Both tone and mood deal with feelings and attitudes. Tone is concerned with the narrator's feelings. Mood is about how the reader is supposed to be feeling. I say "supposed to" because an author can never be certain of how their readers will respond. Nonetheless, the mood is about how the reader is supposed to feel.

This page contains some mood worksheets that I wrote to help students practice identifying mood. I also made some tone worksheets that can be found here . Each worksheets contains 9 or 10 problems. Students read the short texts and determine what mood the author is trying to create. They underline words and phrases from the passage that support their argument. They also explain their answers. I'm sure that these worksheets will be enough to help your students master mood. Let me know if they help. I love comments and feedback. Even the nasty stuff makes me laugh sometimes. Thanks for visiting!

That's all the mood resources that I have right now. Eventually, I'd like to create and post a PowerPoint slideshow, a video, and maybe some activities. All that sounds like pie in the sky right now though. I hope that the mood worksheets and online activities that I do have prove to be useful to you and your students. Thanks for visiting!

Mood Common Core State Standards

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Voice,Tense, and Mood Study Guide By:Ansley Babaz

• a transitive verb has voice.When a transitive verb is in the active voice,the subject is the doer if the action
• in the passive voice, the subject is the receiver of the action
• The cat was chasing the mouse
• The mouse was chasing the cat

Progressive Tense

• Progressive tense consists of a form of the supporting verb be and the present participle of the main verb

(Be + present participle)

• Present : Ansley is doing her math homework after school.
• Past: Ansley was doing her math homework after school.
• Future:Ansley will be doing her math homework after school.

Perfect Tense

• perfect tenses consist of a form of the supporting verb have and the past participle of the main verb

(Have+past participle)

• Present: I have set the table for dinner.
• Past: I had set the table for dinner.
• Future: I will have set the table for dinner
• Indicative-is the form of a verb that is used to state a fact or ask a question
• Imperative-is the form of a verb that is used to give commands
• Emphatics-the form of a verb that gives special force to a simple present or past tense verb.For the present tense,use do or does before the base form of the verb.Do not confuse this with do,does,and did use as auxillary verbs in questions or negative sentences
• subjunctive-form of a verb that can express a wish or a condition that is contrary to fact. The past tense is used to state present wishes or desires or contrary-to fact conditions.The past perfect tense is used to state past wishes,desires,or contrary-to fact conditions.(also used to express a demand or recommendations after that or to express an uncertainty after if or whether)

Wish or Desire

• I wish christmas were here already

Contrary-to-fact

• If I were in the christmas parade I could march down the street in a christmas costume.

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Verb Mood and Voice Online Practice Complete this assessment to review what you've learned. It will not count toward your grade. Which sentence has a shift in its verb voice? (2 point) He wanted to walk, but he was asked by his friend to take the bus. The children were sure they could find the missing book, but their mother already knew where it was. She did not want to go, but everyone knew it was an important event. The building was built in 72AD , but it was not built in one day.

Explanation

EL Education Curriculum

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• ELA 2019 G8:M3

Voices of the Holocaust

In this module, guiding questions and big ideas, content connections, technology and multimedia, optional: community, experts, fieldwork, service, and extensions, performance task, texts and resources to buy, module-at-a-glance, you are here:.

• ELA 2019 Grade 8

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What was the Holocaust and how did it occur? Why do we remember it? How did victims and survivors respond, and how can we honor their voices? How did upstanders respond, and what can we learn from their voices? In this module, students learn about a terrible time period in history, remember the voices of victims, survivors, and upstanders, and at the same time, they develop their ability to determine and track themes, understand the development of characters, identify and track the development of central ideas, and write narratives to honor the memories of those who served as upstanders during the Holocaust.

In the beginning of Unit 1, students discover the topic by examining multiple artifacts and encountering the guiding questions of the module and the culminating performance task. Students read an informational text providing an overview of the Holocaust to build their background knowledge on the scope and gravity of the Holocaust. They are introduced to their anchor text, Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History , a graphic novel, and closely read the first chapter to understand how dialogue and tone reveal aspects of characters. As students continue to read the text, they track character, plot, and emerging themes. This work prepares students for the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment. In the second half of Unit 1, students continue to read Maus I and track plot and emerging themes. This work prepares students for the end of unit assessment. At the end of Unit 1, students write a summary of the entire anchor text, Maus I , including a statement of a major theme developed throughout the text.

In Unit 2, students analyze a model literary analysis, an expository essay that compares and contrasts the structures and themes of a poem and a novel. Students then closely read a new poem, "Often a Minute" by Magdalena Klein, in order to write their own essay comparing the structure and theme of this poem to their anchor text, Maus I . Students spend two days planning their essay and two days drafting and revising their essay based on peer feedback. For their mid-unit assessment, students are presented with a new poem and answer selected and constructed response questions to compare and contrast its structure and theme with that of Maus I . In the second half of Unit 2, students read excerpts from memoirs written by victims and survivors of the Holocaust and also participate in mini lessons and practice verb conjugation, voice, and mood. This work prepares students for the end of unit assessment. At the end of Unit 2, students answer selected and constructed response questions about verb conjugation, voice, and mood.

In Unit 3, students read informational accounts of upstanders during the Holocaust. Students write reflections about how these individuals took action. Students also participate in mini lessons and practice how to use punctuation such as commas, ellipses, and dashes. This work prepares students for their mid-unit assessment, in which they are presented with a reflection paragraph from an informational text and answer selected and constructed response questions about the use of punctuation and verb voice and mood. In the second half of Unit 3, students create a graphic panel as a representation of one of the summaries they wrote and observe one another's work in order to scaffold towards their performance task. Students discuss common traits of upstanders that they saw across the texts they read and analyze a model narrative of a fictional interview with an imaginary upstander. Students plan a narrative of their own by creating a profile of a fictional upstander, creating interview questions and answers, and planning an "explode the moment" with sensory details and figurative language to slow down the pacing of a key moment of the narrative. This prepares students for their end of unit assessment, in which they draft their narrative.

To prepare for their performance task, students peer review one another's narrative and provide feedback and then analyze a model performance task that includes a graphic panel to visually represent elements of the narrative and a reflection on the narrative and panel. Students then plan their own panel and reflection, draft these elements, and prepare to present. For their performance task, students present their graphic panel to an audience and answer questions about their work.

Notes from the Designer

Maus I  is a deeply moving and beautifully portrayed story of a son's conversation with his father about his experiences as a Holocaust survivor. It is important to note that  Maus I contains references to sensitive topics in the context of the atrocities of the Holocaust including anti-Semitism, prisoners of war, and prisoner of war camps. Students also read memoirs and accounts of victims, survivors, and upstanders during the Holocaust. The events presented must be carefully and sensitively discussed to give students context as they read these stories. Teaching notes throughout the lessons provide recommendations for difficult topics with suggestions of how to support students who may be sensitive to the events described. Preview the text in advance and speak with students and families in advance, especially those who may have sensitivity and/or personal connections to topics discussed.

What was the Holocaust, and how did it occur? Why do we remember it?

• The Holocaust was the systematic persecution of 6 million Jewish people by the Nazi regime during World War II.
• We remember the Holocaust because painful experiences shape us and teach us so that history does not repeat itself.

How did victims and survivors respond, and how can we honor their voices?

• Victims and survivors maintained hope and a will to live and faced unspeakable challenges in order to try to survive and to protect those they loved.
• Victims and survivors maintained their dignity, respect, and humanity throughout unimaginable pain and hardship.
• Victims and survivors shared their voices through poetry, memoirs, and other tellings of their stories that help us remember and learn from this terrible chapter of history.

How did upstanders respond, and what can we learn from their voices?

• Even in the midst of unimaginable pain and hardship, people during the Holocaust made choices to stand up for others and themselves.
• There were risks involved in resisting the Nazis, hiding Jewish people and other victims, or supporting the transit of victims, but many were willing to risk the severe consequences in order to stand up for others.
• Through the choices they made in the Holocaust, upstanders continue to inspire people to make the world a better place.
• There are big and small ways to stand up for your beliefs.

This module is designed to address English language arts standards and to be taught during the literacy block. But the module intentionally incorporates Social Studies content that may align to additional teaching during other parts of the day. These intentional connections are described below.

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards

• D2.His.1.6-8. Analyze connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts.
• D2.His.4.6-8. Analyze multiple factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.
• D2.Civ.13.6-8. Analyze the purposes, implementation, and consequences of public policies in multiple settings.
• D2.Civ.1.6-8. Distinguish the powers and responsibilities of citizens, political parties, interest groups, and the media in a variety of governmental and nongovernmental contexts.
• Online word processing tool : Complete note-catchers. Students complete their note-catchers and write their essays and narratives online.
• Speech-to-text/text-to-speech tool : Aid students in reading, writing, and note-taking. Students listen to audio (or text-to-speech) versions of texts to assist with fluency and comprehension. They also use speech-to-text technology to assist with writing and note-taking.
• Many newer devices already have this capability; there are also free apps for this purpose,  such as  Vocaroo  and  Chirbit .

Refer to each Unit Overview for more details, including information about what to prepare in advance.

• Invite community members who may have ancestors who were victims or survivors of the Holocaust to come and share their stories.
• Invite community members who may be experts on this period of history to come and share their knowledge.
• Invite experts on other genocides to come and share their knowledge.
• Invite specialists in the graphic novel format to come and share their expertise.
• Students might travel to a local history museum to learn more about the Holocaust and/or other genocides.
• Students might visit local universities and meet with students who are studying this time period or professors who teach about it.
• Students might volunteer to record stories from community members who have historical links to the Holocaust.
• Students might further research topics related to the Holocaust such as the Hitler youth, uprisings, and the liberations.
• Students might research other genocides in history or those happening today.
• Students might write reflections on how students today can be upstanders in their own communities.

Each unit file includes supporting materials for teachers and students, including guidance for supporting English language learners throughout this unit.

ELA 2019 G8:M3:U1

The holocaust: build background knowledge, ela 2019 g8:m3:u2, the holocaust: voices of victims and survivors, ela 2019 g8:m3:u3, the holocaust: voices of upstanders.

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Create and Present a Graphic Panel Depiction of a Fictional Holocaust Upstander

This performance task gives students the opportunity to present the graphic panels they create. Throughout Unit 1 of this module, students learn about the Holocaust and explore the graphic novel Maus I , which tells the story of a Holocaust survivor. In Unit 2 of this module, students explore poems and memoirs that highlight the different voices of victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Throughout Unit 3, students read the accounts of upstanders who took action during the Holocaust. Students then create a fictional profile of an imaginary upstander and write a narrative of a fictional interview. For their performance task, students create graphic panels to represent a key moment of their narrative and write a reflection on the work they have created. Students present their panels to an audience and answer  questions about their work.

Texts and resources that need to be procured. Please download the Required Trade Books and Resources Procurement List for procurement guidance.

Each module is approximately 6-8 weeks of instruction, broken into 3 units. The Module-at-a-Glance charts, available on the grade level landing pages, provide a big picture view of the module, breaking down the module into a week-by-week outline. It shows how the module unfolds, the focus of each week of instruction, and where the six assessments and the performance task occur.

View the module-at-a-glance chart

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