The act of suspecting and the use of the subjunctive lead us to the assumptions that guide the language in general, but which are not always put into practice. Obviously, we are talking about the use of verb forms, and they, in turn, embody this occurrence in a vehement way.
Starting from this premise, the first idea, which guides this discussion, is that the subjunctive mode will always indicate a doubt, an uncertainty, a possibility. Therefore, we will analyze the statement below:
May he come home early.
A slight doubt hangs in the air, that is, will he really come back soon? It is possible that it does, and it is also possible that it is not.
However, when analyzing cases related to speech, as well as writing, we noticed a significant confusion – marked by the non-use of the convenient verbal form. So, to better clarify what we are saying, look at this example:
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maybe the orders were exchanged during the trip.
At first, we noticed the use of the adverb of doubt – “perhaps”, which literally indicates an uncertainty. Thus, would the use of the verb phrase “were exchanged” be appropriate to the context?
Certainly not, since such a statement, in view of the formal standard of language, needs to be reformulated in order to meet this requirement. Thus, let us find:
maybe the orders have been exchanged during the trip.
The same happens if we said:
It is suspected that he was a victim of ill-treatment. When actually the correct thing would be:
It is suspected that he has been victim of abuse.
By Vânia Duarte
Graduated in Letters
Brazil School Team
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
DUARTE, Vânia Maria do Nascimento. "The act of suspecting and the use of the subjunctive"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/gramatica/o-ato-suspeitar-uso-subjuntivo.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
