Year 6 · SPaG · Autumn: Verbs and tenses
Year 6 recognising the subjunctive worksheet and PowerPoint
To recognise the subjunctive form of a verb in sentences about wishes, imagined situations and formal demands.
The subjunctive
The subjunctive is a special verb form used in formal writing for things that are wished for, imagined or demanded rather than real.
| were | used instead of was for an imagined situation: If I were you, I would go. / I wish it were Friday. |
|---|---|
| be | used instead of is or are after a formal demand: It is vital that he be on time. |
| base verb | the plain verb is used with every subject: I insist that she attend. (not attends) |
Examples
- If I were taller, I would join the team.
- It is essential that every pupil be present.
Key words
- subjunctive
- a verb form used for wishes, imagined situations and formal demands
- formal
- careful and serious, as in a report
- imagined
- not real, but pictured in the mind
- demand
- a strong request
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Write five wishes beginning 'I wish...' and five sentences beginning 'If I were...'. Underline the subjunctive verb each time.
Pupil target: I can spot the subjunctive.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the recognising the subjunctive PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 19 of 72 in the Year 6 SPaG scheme, in the Autumn term, block “Verbs and tenses”. It is taught before the SATs grammar test in May.
Other lessons in this block
- Present tense
- Past tense
- Keeping the tense the same
- Was and were in Standard English
- Using the subjunctive
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