Published on
February 25, 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
August 23, 2023.
The subjunctive mood is a verb form used to refer to a hypothetical scenario or to express a wish, suggestion, or command (e.g., “I suggest you be quiet”).
The subjunctive is one of three grammatical moods in English, along with the indicative mood and the imperative mood.
There are two types of subjunctive verb forms. Verbs in the present subjunctive take the infinitive form (e.g., “be”), while verbs in the past subjunctive are identical to their simple past forms (e.g., “ran”).
Examples: Sentences in the subjunctive moodI demand that everyonehave an opportunity to speak.
Sharon insisted that she be notified of any problems.
If Jane were here, she could tell us what to do.
NoteThe subjunctive mood is less common in UK English than US English. In UK English, the modal verb “should” is often used instead of a subjunctive verb (e.g., “Sharon insisted that she should be notified of any problems”).
Published on
February 24, 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 14, 2023.
Hers is a third-person singular feminine possessive pronoun.
“Her’s,” written with an apostrophe, is sometimes mistakenly used instead of hers, but this is never correct. While possession is usually indicated by adding ‘s to the end of a word, possessive pronouns don’t take an apostrophe.
Examples: Hers and her’s in a sentence
That bag is her’s, not yours.
That bag is hers, not yours.
I have my ticket for the theater, but Lisa lost her’s.
I have my ticket for the theater, but Lisa lost hers.
Published on
February 23, 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
August 23, 2023.
Ours is a first-person plural possessive pronoun.
“Our’s,” written with an apostrophe, is sometimes used instead of ours, but this is incorrect and should be avoided. While possession is typically indicated by adding ‘s to the end of the word, possessive pronouns don’t take an apostrophe.
Published on
February 22, 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
October 5, 2023.
Theirs is a third-person plural possessive pronoun and a gender-neutral singular possessive pronoun.
“Their’s,” written with an apostrophe, is sometimes used instead of theirs. However, this is incorrect and should be avoided. While possession is usually indicated by adding ‘s to the end of a word, possessive pronouns don’t take an apostrophe.
Examples: Theirs and their’s in a sentence
I enjoyed my dessert, but Tina and Jay didn’t enjoy their’s.
I enjoyed my dessert, but Tina and Jay didn’t enjoy theirs.
Published on
February 15, 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 14, 2023.
Fulfil and fulfill are two different spellings of the verb meaning “bring to completion,” “satisfy a requirement,” or “succeed in developing one’s abilities or qualities.”
The spelling tends to vary based on whether you’re writing in UK or US English:
In UK English, “fulfil” (one “l”) is standard.
In US English, “fulfill” (double “l”) is more common.
Examples: Fulfil and fulfill in a sentenceThe presidential aide must fulfil/fulfill a number of important duties.
The protagonist of the film fought to fulfil/fulfill her promise to her mother.
Anthony is looking for a hobby that will fulfil/fulfill him.
Published on
February 14, 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 14, 2023.
A modal verb (also called a modal auxiliary verb) is used along with a main verb to express possibility, ability, permission, or necessity. For example, in the statement “you must leave,” “must” is a modal verb indicating that it’s necessary for the subject (“you”) to perform the action of the verb (“leave”).
The modal verb “will” is used to form the future tense, indicating an action that has not yet occurred (e.g., “I will clean the garage”).
Examples: Modal verbs in a sentenceWe should listen to some music.
Published on
February 14, 2023
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 11, 2023.
Everyone and every one are pronounced the same but have different meanings.
Everyone (one word) is an indefinite pronoun meaning “everybody.” It’s pronounced with the stress on the first syllable only: [ev-ry-one].
Every one (two words) is a phrase used to refer to each individual or thing in a group, usually followed by “of.” It’s pronounced with the stress on the first and third syllables: [ev-ry-one].
“Noone,” written without spaces, is sometimes used instead of no one. However, this is incorrect and should be avoided. This is also the case for the hyphenated form “no-one.”
