5 exercises — practise the mandative subjunctive in API documentation, RFC-style requirements, security policies, and README guides.
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1 / 5
A developer is writing API documentation. Which sentence correctly uses the subjunctive mood to express a requirement?
The formal mandative subjunctive uses the base form of the verb (no "-s", no auxiliary). After "It is required that…", the structure is [subject] + base verb — so send, not sends or will send. This pattern is standard in API documentation, RFC specifications, and compliance guides: "It is required that each request include a nonce", "It is required that the implementation verify the signature". The subjunctive base form signals a formal obligation, clearly distinguishing technical requirements from casual instructions.
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An RFC document reads: "It is essential that every endpoint _____ HTTPS." Which form is grammatically correct in formal technical writing?
Use (base form) is the correct subjunctive after "It is essential that…". Adjective + that constructions such as essential, important, necessary, vital, critical, imperative all trigger the mandative subjunctive in formal writing: "It is essential that the server use TLS 1.2 or higher". The third-person singular here does not take an "-s". This is a well-established rule in formal and legal English, and RFCs routinely use this structure: "It is critical that each response contain the correct Content-Type header."
3 / 5
A README section reads: "We recommend that the developer _____ the configuration file before running the tests." Which option is correct?
Review (base form) is correct. The verb recommend triggers the mandative subjunctive in formal registers: "We recommend that [subject] + base verb". Compare: "We recommend that all contributors sign the CLA", "We recommend that the operator back up the database before upgrading". In informal writing or speech you might hear "reviews" or "should review", but in technical documentation, README files, and style guides, the bare subjunctive form is preferred for its precision and formality.
4 / 5
A technical specification reads: "The spec mandates that the server _____ a 400 status code when the request body is malformed." Which is correct?
Return (base form) is the subjunctive after "mandates that". Verbs of mandate, demand, or requirement — mandate, require, demand, specify, stipulate, insist — all take the subjunctive base form in the following clause. Examples: "The spec mandates that the client close idle connections after 60 seconds", "The standard stipulates that the implementation reject duplicate request IDs". This pattern occurs throughout HTTP specifications (RFCs 7230–7235) and is the grammatical marker of a formal requirement rather than an informal suggestion.
5 / 5
A security policy document states: "It is imperative that each microservice _____ its own authentication token and _____ it with the identity provider." Which option correctly completes both blanks?
Generate … validate is correct. Both verbs in a mandative subjunctive clause take the base form — even when there are two verbs joined by and. The structure is: "It is imperative that [subject] + base verb + and + base verb". So: "It is imperative that each service generate a token and validate it". A common mistake is to inflect only one of the two verbs. Formal technical writing (security policies, compliance documents) requires consistency: both verbs must agree in subjunctive base form across coordinated predicates.