With hypothetical denoting an
assumption that one condition be true for the sake of argument or for the purpose of
investigation, hypothetical meaning in English is expressed with the use of the
subjunctive mood. While Romance and other languages have a separate conjugation for
verbs in the subjunctive mood, English simply pares the third person singular of its -s
ending, except for the vert to be which is used thusly in the
subjunctive:
If this be true,
then we have made the wrong assumption.
Regular verbs
remove the -s from the third person
singular:
If a man have
patience, he can train a horse.
It is unfortunate that the
use of the subjunctive mood is often ignored in English and the present basic form of
verbs is used, instead. For, there is a tone to the subjunctive that indicates well the
connotations of the use of the subjunctive. Thus, nowadays, is it more common to hear
someone say
If a man has patience, he can train
horses.
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