Do you say "He demanded that she explain why she told a lie"?

Question

Do you use the subjunctive mood nowadays. I picked up these sentences from a dictionary.

#1 He demanded that she explain why she told a lie.
#2 It's strange that she be angry with me.
#3 She insisted that her daughter come home early.
#4 They insisted that she be there.

Are these incorrect?

#1 He demanded that she explained why she told a lie.
#2 It's strange that she is angry with me.
#3 She insisted that her daughter comes home early.
#4 They insisted that she were there.

Answer 1

"How much wood wood a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood? He would chuck what wood a woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck would chuck would." (I don't know the author; it isn't me.)

#2 It's strange that she would be angry with me.
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On second thought, the following is a famous quote from someone (who had good grammar no doubt) and it doesn't sound any more stilted than the way #2 was originally expressed.

"If she be not fair to me, what care I how fair she be?"
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#1 has two periods of time, or tenses, going on. One time is the time when he demands, and the time before that (the pluperfect, or past perfect) is the time she told a lie. A better way to say it:

#1 He demanded that she explain why she HAD told a lie.

I suppose a person could say: He demanded that she explain why she should tell a lie. Here is an instance where use of the absolutely most correct grammar interferes with the clarity of the sentence. Should tell a lie? Demanding someone defend an immoral act with explanations?

The "should" would make more sense in a sentence such as:
He demanded that she explain why she should fill the car with premium instead of regular gas. He insisted on being told why she would do such a thing.

Answer 2

The subjunctive mood is still used. It is somewhat formal but rather elegant, don't you think? I agree with the other posters that #2 is missing something.

Answer 3

If it is used I really don't know cause I'm not a native speaker, but according to English Grammar rules they are perfect correct.

Answer 4

Sounds like English to me!

Answer 5

sounds ok to me..but #2 is a little odd...I would think it should be.."It's strange that she is angry with me." Or "It's strange that she should be angry with me."

Answer 6

#2 sounds off . . . "she'd be" makes more sense

The others are all fine