Subjunctive Equative

The subjunctive equative is used to talk about something being something when the statement involves:

• a hypothetical condition
• a wish, desire, hope
• a purpose
• statement of whether it should or shouldn't be

Purpose

The subjunctive is used in clauses that express a purpose or an aim of something being something.

Judgement/obligation

The subjunctive form can be used to talk about it being being good or bad, necessary, or required that something is something.

Desire

Conditions

The subjunctive form is also used to talk about conditions or possibilities. If A = B, then... or It could be that A = B ...

Important Note on Common Use:

This is the standard/written form of the subjunctive equative. However in many dialects you will find that people use the same forms as the habitual equative when speaking. For example:

Future Equative

This is used for:

1. Saying that something will be something in the future. ("I'll be...")
2. To guess or surmise about something being something (now or in the future). ("I'll be...")

Examples

Past Equative

This is used to say that something was something in the past. ("I was...")

It is usually used in the short form.

Examples

"Would be" Equative

This is used to:

• say A was B habitually/repeatedly in past
• to presume or guess about A being B in the past
• or to talk about the outcome of hypothetical conditions
• to say that A should have been B

Like the past equative that it's based on, it's usually used with the short form.

Examples

Presuming something about the past

Habitual Past

Hypothetical outcome

Past Subjunctive

This is used to talk about:

• If A were hypothetically B but it isn't
  • also if A had been hypothetically B, but it isn't
• If you wish A were B
• If A should have been B
• A had to be B (it was necessary/good for A to be B)
• In prayers and blessings (in some dialects)

Because this is based on the the non-inflecting tail, it doesn't change at all, no matter what the subject is.

Examples

If A were B

You wish A were B

A should have been B

"Would have been" Equative

This is used to talk about:

• If some hypothetical condition were true, A would have been B
• A should have been B, or it would have been good if A would have been B

Overview of 8 Equatives

"The language which can with the greatest ease make the finest and most numerous distinctions of meanings is the best." (C.S. Lewis, Studies in Words)

1. Present Equative

• A is B currently
• A is B categorically, definately

2. Habitual Equative

• A is B habitually, repeatedly, generally
• A tends to be B

Subjunctive Equative

• One desires or wants A to be B
• A should/must be B (judgement)
• If/it's possible that A is B
• if A is B
• ...so that A is B (purpose)

4. Future Equative

• A will be B
• presuming or guessing that A will be B

5. Past Equative

• A was B
• (if) A turns out to be B

6.

"Would be" Equative

• A was B habitually
• Presuming or guessing that A was B
• A would have been B (as the result of a hypothetical outcome)
• A should have been B

7.

Past Subjunctive Equative

• A should have been B
• A had to be B (it was necessary/good for A to be B)
• If A were B (unreal conditional)...
• I wish/if only A were B!

8.

"Would have been" Equative

• (given some hypothetical condition) A would have been B

---

You can explore how all the equatives by browsing the charts and building equative phrases in the phrase builder.