The Indicative and the Subjunctive Mood in Subordinate Adverbial Clauses in Italian and German

This paper underlines the frequency and importance of either indicative or subjunctive use in subordinate adverbial clauses in both Italian and German. This is highlighted through a general comparative analysis of the linguistic terms in question. The introductory part provides a brief insight into the subordinate clauses, particularly adverbial clauses. Verb moods with an emphasis on the indicative and subjunctive are shortly distinguished. The main part of the paper revolves around a systematic presentation of adverbial clauses: clauses of place, time, reason clauses, result clauses, purpose clauses, concessive clauses, conditional clauses, comparative clauses, clauses of manner and exception. The following method of work is used: having explored the Italian language system with a detailed listing of verbs and verb phrases followed by conjunctions and conjunctional phrases introducing the indicative and subjunctive, the same analysis is carried out for the German language system. On the basis of the above mentioned, the two language systems are compared. Sources consulted and cited for the examples analysed are: grammar books, course books and dictionaries. Finally, this paper's conclusion provides an outline of the most important findings of this study: there is a high congruence in the use of the two verb moods in the conditional clauses and clauses of place. Furthermore, there is no record of the subjunctive being used in clauses of time, place, manner, exception and reason clauses in German. In the remaining adverbial clauses some major or minor differences are noticeable. There is a higher frequency of the subjunctive use in Italian.