Shifts in verb mood

There are three moods in English:

• the indicative, used for facts, opinions, and questions
• the imperative, used for orders or advice
• the subjunctive, used for wishes or conditions contrary to fact

The following passage shifts confusingly from the indicative to the imperative mood.

Since the writer’s purpose was to report the officers’ advice, the revision puts both sentences in the indicative.

Exercises:

Shifts: mood and voice, questions and quotations 1

Shifts: mood and voice, questions and quotations 2

All shifts 1

All shifts 2

Editing for shifts