In my preceding two columns, I explained the difference between a second conditional sentence and a subjunctive sentence, then discussed the maverick behavior of verbs in subjunctive sentences. I ...

It is often bemoaned in Britain that English is going to pieces—and Americans are generally to blame. Whether you call it decline or not, the moaners are on to something: America has indeed produced ...

One of the most fascinating things about language is that we can use it so well, so expertly, without understanding how we do it. The following two sentences are perfect examples. If the burglar was ...

What verb forms follow 'wish'? For wishes about the present or future, use the subjunctive. Follow I wish with the past subjunctive. The past subjunctive looks like the past simple, except for the ...

Research is uncovering developmental factors (e.g., interactions between syntactic and morphological development) that account for the fact that foreign-language learners of Spanish completing the ...