Subjunctive: Pengertian, Jenis, Contoh, dan Latihan Soal

Subjunctive adalah bentuk khusus dari kata kerja yang digunakan untuk menyatakan situasi yang tidak nyata, bersifat hipotetis, penuh keraguan, atau mengandung harapan. Berbeda dengan bentuk indikatif yang menggambarkan fakta, subjunctive menekankan pada kondisi yang bersifat imajiner, keinginan, atau sesuatu yang seolah-olah terjadi.

Topik ini penting dipelajari karena sering muncul dalam soal ujian, terutama pada materi grammar tingkat menengah hingga lanjutan. Pemahaman mendalam mengenai subjunctive akan membantu meningkatkan keterampilan menulis maupun berbicara secara formal.

Konsep Dasar Subjunctive

Subjunctive tidak menunjukkan waktu (tense) secara jelas, melainkan kondisi atau maksud pembicara. Ada tiga penggunaan utama:

• Subjunctive dalam kalimat pengandaian (if-clause)

• Subjunctive dalam ekspresi keinginan, saran, atau perintah

• Subjunctive dalam ungkapan formal tertentu

Jenis-Jenis Subjunctive

1. Subjunctive dalam If-Clause

Biasa digunakan untuk menyatakan situasi hipotetis atau tidak nyata.

Pola umum:

• If + subject + verb (past), subject + would/should/could/might + verb (bare infinitive).

Contoh:

• If I were rich, I would buy a villa.

• If she studied harder, she could pass the exam.

Catatan penting: penggunaan were tetap dipakai untuk semua subjek (“I were, he were, she were”), bukan “was”.

2. Subjunctive untuk Harapan, Permintaan, dan Saran

Biasanya muncul setelah kata kerja tertentu, seperti: suggest, recommend, request, insist, demand, ask, propose.

Pola umum:

• Subject + verb (suggest/recommend/…) + that + subject + verb (bare infinitive).

Contoh:

• The teacher suggested that he study harder.

• I recommend that she take the test again.

Perhatikan bahwa kata kerja setelah that tetap menggunakan bentuk dasar (tanpa -s, -ed, atau to).

3. Subjunctive dalam Ekspresi Tetap (Fixed Expressions)

Beberapa ungkapan idiomatis atau formal menggunakan subjunctive, misalnya:

• God bless you!

• So be it.

• Long live the king!

Tabel Ringkasan Penggunaan Subjunctive

Perbedaan Subjunctive dengan Indikatif

• Indikatif: menyatakan fakta nyata.

  • She works at the hospital. (Fakta)

• Subjunctive: menyatakan sesuatu yang tidak nyata atau diinginkan.

  • I suggested that she work at the hospital. (Harapan/Saran)

Kesalahan Umum

1. Menggunakan was dalam if-clause (seharusnya were).

   • ❌ If I was you → ✅ If I were you

2. Menambahkan “-s” pada verb setelah kata kerja saran.

   • ❌ She suggested that he studies → ✅ She suggested that he study

Key Takeaways

1. Subjunctive digunakan untuk kondisi hipotetis, saran, permintaan, atau ekspresi formal.

2. Dalam if-clause, gunakan bentuk past dan kata kerja bantu modal (would/should/could/might).

3. Setelah kata kerja saran (suggest, recommend, insist, demand), gunakan bare infinitive.

4. Bentuk tetap seperti God bless you atau Long live the king adalah bagian dari subjunctive.

5. Kesalahan umum: memakai “was” alih-alih “were” atau menambahkan “-s” pada verb setelah that.

Latihan Tambahan: 20 Soal Subjunctive

Pilihan Ganda (A–E)

1. If I ___ you, I would apologize.
A. was
B. were
C. am
D. be
E. been
Jawaban: B → aturan subjunctive menggunakan were untuk semua subjek.

2. The teacher suggested that we ___ more diligently.
A. studies
B. studying
C. study
D. studied
E. to study
Jawaban: C → setelah suggest that → bare infinitive.

3. If she ___ harder, she could pass the exam.
A. study
B. studies
C. studied
D. studying
E. to study
Jawaban: C → subjunctive if-clause pakai past simple.

4. I recommend that he ___ the project immediately.
A. start
B. starts
C. started
D. starting
E. to start
Jawaban: A → bare infinitive setelah recommend that.

5. Long ___ the king!
A. lives
B. live
C. lived
D. living
E. to live
Jawaban: B → fixed expression Long live…

6. If she ___ taller, she would join the team.
A. is
B. was
C. were
D. been
E. be
Jawaban: C → subjunctive pakai were.

7. They insisted that the meeting ___ postponed.
A. is
B. be
C. was
D. being
E. to be
Jawaban: B → verb setelah insist that berbentuk bare infinitive.

8. If it ___ sunny, we could go to the beach.
A. is
B. was
C. were
D. being
E. be
Jawaban: C.

9. The doctor recommended that she ___ more rest.
A. takes
B. take
C. took
D. taking
E. to take
Jawaban: B.

10. If he ___ more careful, he wouldn’t make mistakes.
A. is
B. was
C. were
D. be
E. been
Jawaban: C.

11. She demanded that he ___ immediately.
A. leave
B. leaves
C. left
D. leaving
E. to leave
Jawaban: A.

12. If I ___ you, I wouldn’t say that.
A. am
B. was
C. were
D. be
E. been
Jawaban: C.

13. The manager requested that the report ___ finished today.
A. is
B. be
C. was
D. being
E. to be
Jawaban: B.

14. If he ___ honest, people would trust him.
A. is
B. was
C. were
D. be
E. been
Jawaban: C.

15. I suggested that she ___ part in the competition.
A. takes
B. take
C. took
D. taking
E. to take
Jawaban: B.

16. If they ___ more money, they would travel abroad.
A. have
B. has
C. had
D. having
E. to have
Jawaban: C.

17. The judge ordered that the prisoner ___ released.
A. is
B. be
C. was
D. were
E. being
Jawaban: B.

18. If we ___ earlier, we would catch the train.
A. leave
B. leaves
C. left
D. leaving
E. to leave
Jawaban: C.

19. The committee proposed that the rules ___ revised.
A. is
B. be
C. was
D. being
E. to be
Jawaban: B.

20. If I ___ in Paris, I would visit the Eiffel Tower.
A. am
B. was
C. were
D. been
E. be
Jawaban: C.