1. Two standards for one requirement
After verbs that express a requirement, proposal, or insistence, a that-clause can have two different surface forms with the same meaning. The first is the bare base form of the verb, without any marker of person or tense. The second is should plus the same base form. The meaning of the requirement does not change; only the presence or absence of a separate modal word changes.
The distribution between them is variable: American usage more often retains the bare form, while British tradition more often inserts should. This is a preference, not a prohibition. British texts also use the bare form, and should in such a clause does not make an American document incorrect. Therefore, the question “which of the two forms is correct?” is badly framed; the right question is “which of the two is appropriate in this document?”
In parallel items in a formal document, consistent formatting can make reading easier. However, alternating between two standard models is not in itself an error: consider the author’s style, the context, and editorial requirements.
that + subject + base form ↔ that + subject + should + base form
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- V1 / base form —
- The base verb without to: work, go, be.
The ethics board requires that every participant sign a new consent form.
The ethics board requires that every participant sign a new consent form.
Bare base form sign: there is no -s, even though the subject every participant is third-person singular.
The ethics board requires that every participant should sign a new consent form.
The ethics board requires that every participant should sign a new consent form.
The same requirement with should. The modal word does not add advice or assumption here; it simply expresses the requirement.
The senate resolved that the reading room open on Saturdays.
The senate resolved that the reading room open on Saturdays.
The main clause is in the past (resolved), but the subordinate form does not change: open remains the base form.
2. What exactly “the bare base form” means
The base form is the dictionary form of a verb without to or person- or tense-marking endings. The auxiliary be in the passive also has the base form: that she be informed. In the mandative subjunctive, this form does not change according to the subject’s person or the tense of the main clause.
The clearest diagnostic case is the third-person singular. This is where the bare form is immediately visible: the difference between that he apply and that he applies is the entire visible difference between this construction and the ordinary present tense.
The second diagnostic case is the verb be. It never takes the forms am, is, are, or was: in this clause, the form is be, including as part of the passive.
The tense of the main clause does not affect the form of the subordinate clause. After demanded, insisted, or had asked, the base form remains the base form: this construction has no tense of its own.
The dean asked that the tutor be present at every viva.
The dean asked that the tutor be present at every viva.
Be, not is: in this clause, the verb be does not change according to person.
The archive demanded that the reader wear cotton gloves.
The archive demanded that the reader wear cotton gloves.
Wear has no -s, even though the reader is third-person singular and the main clause is in the past.
The city council had insisted that the plan be published in full.
The city council had insisted that the plan be published in full.
The passive is formed with be plus a past participle; been or was is impossible here.
3. Should + base form: what changes and what does not
The British variant inserts should before the same base form. The verb after should does not change at all. Therefore, moving between the two realizations means adding or removing one word, not rewriting the predicate.
Should in this position does not have its own meaning of advice or obligation. The sentence The board recommends that the fee should be reduced does not advise anyone to do anything beyond making the recommendation; it simply expresses its content. Should is not translated as a separate word here.
This is what distinguishes mandative should from the ordinary modal. Compare three uses of the same word: advice in the main clause, conditional inversion at the beginning of a sentence, and the expression of a subordinate requirement.
that + subject + should + base form (the verb after should never changes)
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V1 / base form —
- The base verb without to: work, go, be.
The museum asks that the loan agreement should be signed by both directors.
The museum asks that the loan agreement should be signed by both directors.
Should be signed expresses the same requirement as be signed; there is no separate piece of advice here.
The senate proposed that the fee should stay unchanged for two years.
The senate proposed that the fee should stay unchanged for two years.
After should comes stay, with no -s and no to.
You should tell the archive about the change.
You should tell the archive about the change.
Here should is ordinary advice in the main clause; this use does not belong to the rule.
4. What is not part of the alternation
The two forms in this rule are the complete list for this particular alternation. Everything else that often appears in drafts either belongs to another construction or is simply ungrammatical.
Will, would, and must are not among the two models compared here. Other that-constructions can contain these modal verbs and express prediction, willingness, or necessity. For practice with the mandative alternation, use the base form or should + base form.
The sequence that + subject + to-infinitive without a finite predicate does not form the required mandative clause: that the applicant to submit is incorrect. For an infinitive model, restructure the sentence; for a that-clause, use an appropriate predicate.
The ordinary present tense is a separate case: that he applies. British texts use this form, and it is not ungrammatical in itself, but it is neither of the two realizations in this rule, and it is usually avoided in a formal American document. In the exercises below, it is labeled “outside the alternation,” not “a language error.”
The residents demanded that the barrier be removed.
The residents demanded that the barrier be removed.
Mandative subjunctive: be removed. The alternative in this lesson is should be removed; will is not simply another form of the same alternation.
The hospital requires that each visitor leave a phone number.
The hospital requires that each visitor leave a phone number.
In the that-clause, after the subject each visitor, the predicate must be leave, not to leave. A to-infinitive without a finite verb does not complete this model.
The tutor suggests that the student applies for the grant.
The tutor suggests that the student applies for the grant.
The ordinary present tense occurs in such clauses in British texts, but it is not one of the two forms in this rule; for an American document, choose apply or should apply.
5. Negation and the passive in both realizations
Negation of the bare form is formed without do-support: not is placed directly before the base form. The combinations doesn't be or don't be are impossible in this clause.
In the should variant, negation follows the ordinary modal pattern: should not or shouldn't before the base form. Both forms are acceptable; in a formal document, the full form is more common.
The passive works the same way in both realizations: be plus a participle, or should be plus a participle. The most common error here is omitting be after should.
Negation can be expressed through the subject no exception: for the meaning “make no exception,” an additional not is unnecessary. Two negatives are possible with a different meaning, so do not add not mechanically.
The archive asks that the letters not be photographed with a flash.
The archive asks that the letters not be photographed with a flash.
Not comes directly before be; the auxiliary do does not appear.
The archive asks that the letters should not be photographed with a flash.
The archive asks that the letters should not be photographed with a flash.
The meaning is the same in the British formulation; shouldn't is also possible.
The senate ruled that no exception be made for late papers.
The senate ruled that no exception be made for late papers.
The negation is already in the subject no exception, so not is unnecessary.
6. How to choose the form: the document’s anchor, not personal taste
Consider the editorial standard and the usual variety of English. The base form is especially common in American English; British English uses both models. If the document has a specific style instruction, follow it.
When there is no specific instruction, either model can be chosen according to the context and your own style. Consistent formatting of parallel items is useful, but grammar does not require one form throughout the entire text.
Genre also provides a clue. Minutes, resolutions, regulations, and procedural rules usually maintain one form consistently; correspondence allows more freedom of choice.
In mandative use, should does not automatically indicate a weaker requirement: the main force comes from the main verb and the context. In other contexts, should has its own modal meaning, so it is important to identify this particular construction.
US style sheet: the committee recommends that the report be circulated a week in advance.
US style sheet: the committee recommends that the report be circulated a week in advance.
The anchor is the document’s style standard, and the form is chosen to match it, not the particular sentence.
UK minutes: the committee recommends that the report should be circulated a week in advance.
UK minutes: the committee recommends that the report should be circulated a week in advance.
The meaning has not changed; only the document’s house style has changed.
The first clause asks that the form be signed; the second asks that it should be signed.
The first clause asks that the form be signed; the second asks that it should be signed.
Both clauses are grammatical. An editor may standardize parallel items according to the document’s style; the alternation itself is not a grammatical error.
7. The limits of the rule
This alternation occurs not only after verbs. After adjectives and nouns expressing necessity, the choice between the bare form and should is exactly the same. However, the set of such triggers belongs to a separate rule; here, the trigger is taken as given, and we work only with the form of the subordinate clause.
The question of which verbs open this clause is also outside the scope of the lesson. We use a familiar set—demand, require, insist, propose, recommend, request, ask, order, move, resolve—but we do not practice the membership of this set.
Do not confuse the mandative subjunctive with conditional were in If I were you: were is not the base form of be. The expressions be that as it may and come what may also contain base forms, but they are fixed expressions with separate functions.
Separately, should meaning condition or advice does not belong to this alternation, even though it is the same word.
It is essential that the sample be stored at four degrees.
It is essential that the sample be stored at four degrees.
The form choice is the same, but the trigger here is an adjective—this belongs to a neighboring rule.
Should the courier be late, call the office.
Should the courier be late, call the office.
This is conditional should with inversion; it has no connection with choosing the form in a that-clause.
The committee insisted that the deadline be moved, and the chair agreed that it was too tight.
The committee insisted that the deadline be moved, and the chair agreed that it was too tight.
After insisted, we have a requirement with be moved. After agreed, the sentence expresses a statement about the deadline with was; the grammatical form itself does not guarantee that the statement is true.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:The neighbours demanded that the fence will be repaint before the fair.
Correct:The neighbours demanded that the fence be repainted before the fair.
After be in the passive, the third form repainted is required. For the target mandative alternation, use be repainted or should be repainted.
Incorrect:The mayor insists that the street should to be closed on Sundays.
Correct:The mayor insists that the street should be closed on Sundays.
After should, the bare base form always follows, without to.
Incorrect:We ask that the interview doesn't be recorded.
Correct:We ask that the interview not be recorded.
Negation of the bare form is formed without do-support: not is placed directly before be, and doesn't is impossible in this clause.
Incorrect:The judge ordered that the file should removed from the system.
Correct:The judge ordered that the file should be removed from the system.
In the should variant, the passive retains be: should be removed, not should removed.
Incorrect:The organisers request that every speaker should sends the slides in advance.
Correct:The organisers request that every speaker should send the slides in advance.
The verb does not take -s after should: the form remains the base form regardless of the subject.
Incorrect:We recommend that the applicant to attach a short cover letter.
Correct:We recommend that the applicant attach a short cover letter.
In this that-clause, after the applicant, the predicate must be attach or should attach; to attach alone, without a finite verb, does not form a complete subordinate clause.