| mood |
| Definition -
A way of categorizing verbs with respect to the semantic purpose of the sentence, e.g. whether the sentence is a command, a question, or a wish.
Notes: 1. In contrast to aspect, which classifies verbs temporally, e.g. according to duration, repetition, and completion. |
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Example - Some moods that exist or have existed in English are: (1) optative mood: "Heaven forfend!" (used to expresses desire, archaic) (2) indicative mood: "Bob is walking the dog." (used for factual statements) (3) generic mood: "Turtles are slow." (used to make generalizations) (4) imperative mood: "Let's go!" (expresses commands) (5) subjunctive mood: "I suggested that David read some tea leaves." (used to discuss hypothetical events or to make polite requests, archaic) (6) conditional mood: "If he leaves, I'll stay." (used to refer to events that will happen if something else it true) (7) potential mood: "I may be seen" (indicates that something is possible, probable, or necessary) |
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Etymology - The term was coined by modifying the word mode (from the Latin modus, manner); thus, grammatical mood is unrelated to emotional mood. |
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Oxford English Dictionary - Its first citation in this sense is from 1573: "How shall men directly fynde The Coniugation, Nomber, Person, Tence, And Moode of Verbes togither in their kynde?" (Golding in Baret Alv. To Rdr. viii) |
