[Sidenote:  After verbs of commanding.]

This subjunctive is very frequent after verbs of commanding.

     See that there be no traitors in your camp.—­TENNYSON.

     Come, tell me all that thou hast seen,
     And look thou tell me true. 
     —­SCOTT.

     See that thy scepter be heavy on his head.—­DE QUINCEY.

VIII.  Concessive Clauses.

229.  The concession may be expressed—­

(1) In the nature of the verb; for example,—­

     Be the matter how it may, Gabriel Grub was afflicted with
     rheumatism to the end of his days.—­DICKENS.

     Be the appeal made to the understanding or the heart, the
     sentence is the same—­that rejects it.—­BROUGHAM

(2) By an indefinite relative word, which may be

(a) Pronoun.

     Whatever betide, we’ll turn aside,
     And see the Braes of Yarrow. 
     —­WORDSWORTH.

(b) Adjective.

     That hunger of applause, of cash, or whatsoever victual it may
     be, is the ultimate fact of man’s life.—­CARLYLE.

(c) Adverb.

     Wherever he dream under mountain or stream,
     The spirit he loves remains. 
     —­SHELLEY.

Prevalence of the Subjunctive Mood.

230.  As shown by the wide range of literature from which these examples are selected, the subjunctive is very much used in literary English, especially by those who are artistic and exact in the expression of their thought.

At the present day, however, the subjunctive is becoming less and less used.  Very many of the sentences illustrating the use of the subjunctive mood could be replaced by numerous others using the indicative to express the same thoughts.

The three uses of the subjunctive now most frequent are, to express a wish, a concession, and condition contrary to fact.

In spoken English, the subjunctive were is much used in a wish or a condition contrary to fact, but hardly any other subjunctive forms are.

It must be remembered, though, that many of the verbs in the subjunctive have the same form as the indicative.  Especially is this true of unreal conditions in past time; for example,—­

     Were we of open sense as the Greeks were, we had found [should
     have found] a poem here.—­CARLYLE.

IMPERATIVE MOOD.

[Sidenote:  Definition.]

231.  The imperative mood is the form of the verb used in direct commands, entreaties, or requests.

[Sidenote:  Usually second person.]

232.  The imperative is naturally used mostly with the second person, since commands are directed to a person addressed.