It is important that they "are" or "be"?

Question

I was reading Jeremy Harmer's book (how to teach), and i encountered the sentence "it is, therefore, especially important that they are both fully engaged with what is going on and also ready to listen". But isn't that a subjunctive? Shouldn't it be "it is important that they "be" engaged..."? He's such a renowned author, I don't think he would make such mistakes, but this is kind of confusing.

Indepe · Answer

The question was anwered in the comments, in the sense that "are" is OK.

@WS2: Ngrams seems to show that the subjunctive is dying in both places but that it's much closer to expiring in the U.K. This definitely varies by region of the U.S. (Probably also in the U.K.) The link is too large to fit in this comment, so see my next one. – Peter Shor Nov 11 '18 at 14:58

Ngram supporting the previous comment. – Peter Shor Nov 11 '18 at 14:59

It is important that they "are" or "be"?

One Answer

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question