What Is the Indicative Mood? (with Examples)

What Is the Indicative Mood? (with Examples)

The indicative mood is a verb form which makes a statement or asks a question. For example:
  • Jack sings every Friday.
    • (This is a verb in the indicative mood.)
  • Sing us a song, Jack.
    • (This verb is not in the indicative mood. It is in the imperative mood.)
The vast majority of sentences are in the indicative mood.

The main verb (i.e., the finite verb) in a declarative sentence (a statement) or an interrogative sentence (a question) will be in the indicative mood.

Examples of Verbs in the Indicative Mood

Here are some more examples of verbs in the indicative mood (shaded):
  • The sky is clear tonight.
  • She stopped during the third lap.
  • The aliens will be unable to breathe our air.
  • Is that a whelk?
  • That was tasty. Did you like it?
    • (This is a declarative sentence followed by an interrogative sentence.)

What Is Mood?

Mood is the form a verb takes to show how it is to be regarded (e.g., as a fact, a command, a wish, an uncertainty).

There are three major moods in English:
  • The Indicative Mood. This states facts or asks questions. For example:
    • She is driving the car.
    • Is she driving the car?
  • The Imperative Mood. This expresses a command or a request. For example:
    • Drive the car!
    • Please drive the car.
  • The Subjunctive Mood. This shows a wish or doubt. For example:
    • I suggest that Dawn drive the car.
    • I propose that Dawn be asked to drive the car.
    • If I were Dawn, I would drive the car.
Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited and printed to create exercise worksheets.

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See Also

What is mood? What are finite verbs? What is the imperative mood? What is the subjunctive mood? What is an interrogative sentence? What is an exclamatory sentence? What is an imperative sentence? What is a declarative sentence?Glossary of grammatical terms