Arabic and English Sentence Patterns: A Comparative Guide

16 | P a g e forms has obscured the standard mood forms, as the verbs that follow modals are uninflected; they do not show mood. 32 English is generally characterized as having three primary moods: indicative, subjunctive, and imperative (the infinitive and emphatic are sometimes included 33 ) . Except for the imperative (see below), these are mostly formal categories but are defined semantically, reminding us that the form/meaning distinction is here neither exact nor absolute. The indicative refers to what is real or true, expressing everyday fact or routine using finite verbs (in this case, past or present forms), as in “Tom studies every day.” It is also used for “real” conditions, situations which the writer or speaker considers possible or probable, such as “If he sits here, we can talk.” The subjunctive does not make specific truth claims but addresses hypothetical situations, such as “If I were president . . .,” and situations in which action is advisable, such as “She suggested that he sit,” using uninflected verb forms. 34 It is also used for “unreal” conditions, situations considered unlikely, such as “If you studied, you would succeed.” The imperative is the command form, using infinitive verbs to require action, as in “Study!” This is the single mood form in English with a one-to-one correspondence with modality: imperative verbs consistently indicate the modality of obligation, or command. 4.1.2 ARABIC Unlike English verbs, all Arabic verbs in vowelled texts are marked for mood; there is no infinitive, or unmarked, form. The four primary moods are the indicative ( ﻊﻓْ اﻟﺮﱠ ), subjunctive ( ﺐﺼْ اﻟﻨ ﱠ ), jussive ( مﺰْ اﻟﺠَ ), and imperative ( ﺮﻣْ اﻷَ ). The indicative is the only finite form (showing tense distinctions) and is the template for the other mood forms. The subjunctive, jussive, and imperative