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From: Antonio Marques <no_email@invalid.invalid>
Newsgroups: sci.lang,alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: [So help me God] -- must be in Subjunctive (mood)
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2024 12:27:23 -0000 (UTC)
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John Armstrong <jja@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> On 22/07/2024 03:50, HenHanna wrote:
>> I do...   (reminds me...)  that
>> 
>> [So help me God]  -- must be in Subjunctive (mood)
>> 
>> 
>> there must be other common phrases that are subtle  like that.
> 
> Imperative mood, surely.
> 

It's subjunctive in portuguese - assim Deus me ajude - expressing a
wish/conditional, not a command.

We (pt) do use the subjunctive as an imperative for other persons than
etymological 2nd, but I don't think this (eng) is such a case. Not because
it's God. 'So the weather allow' wouldn't be a command either.