Sentence Correction

A study SUGGESTS that more work IS needed

Why "is" and not "be" is used?

thx

Fractal wrote:A study SUGGESTS that more work IS needed

Why "is" and not "be" is used?

thx

because sentence becomes awkward............A study suggests that more work be needed...........for subjunctive we have already used that with suggests

Fractal wrote:A study SUGGESTS that more work IS needed

Why "is" and not "be" is used?

thx

Hi,
We use 'be' instead of 'is' only in command subjunctive mood. Here the study is not commanding anyone to do more work. It is just used in indicative mood. Hence, 'is' is appropriate.

If we use the same 'suggests that' to command/tell someone to do something, then we use subjunctive mood.
Example: The instructor suggests that more work be done.
So, it depends on the context, not just verb+that.

Frankenstein wrote:

Fractal wrote:A study SUGGESTS that more work IS needed

Why "is" and not "be" is used?

thx

Hi,
We use 'be' instead of 'is' only in command subjunctive mood. Here the study is not commanding anyone to do more work. It is just used in indicative mood. Hence, 'is' is appropriate.

If we use the same 'suggests that' to command/tell someone to do something, then we use subjunctive mood.
Example: The instructor suggests that more work be done.
So, it depends on the context, not just verb+that.

This is a very good explanation. "Suggest" has more than one sense; when "suggest" means "recommend" or "request without commanding" we can expect the subjunctive, while in its "imply but not declare" sense we would not.