What is the difference between these two English sentences?

Question

I insist that he tells the truth
I insist that he tell the truth

answers received so far...

don't jump in so quick for the obvious answer. There is more to this.

Answer 1

Both sentences are correct, but they have different meanings. The first indicates that he tells the truth and you insist that it's true that he tells the truth. The second means that you are adamant about his telling the truth, indicating he may not be doing so. Another example: You're calling someone on the phone. You say: "I insist we are here." This means that we're really here and you're telling this as fact. If you say, "I insist that we BE here," it means that we're not here but you want it to happen in the future. Isn't language fun?

Answer 2

The second sentence is the correct sentence

The second sentence the dependent clause is in the subjunctive mood (tense) and so therefore it is correct to write or say I insist that (he tell) the truth.

The reason is that the subjunctive is not known whether he will tell the truth or not and so therefore is not technically a simple present tense clause.

present tense verbs will be for example correctly written like this: He tells
He sells
He speaks
He writes
He reads
He eats

Yet place all those sentences in the larger sentence of

I insist that he tell the truth
I insist that he sell the car
I insist that he speak clearly
I insist that he writes his own composition
I insist that he read one book each week
I insist that he eat his dinner

These are all sentences in the subjunctive mood (tense) and thereofre the final s on the verb is not written down as it would be if it were a simple present tense verb in the sentence.

Answer 3

Of the two meanings you can get from these sentences only one of your examples covers them both.

When you demand that someone should tell the truth, you could say either of them.

When you are insisting that what "he" is saying is truthful, you can only use the first example: I insist that he tells the truth'.

There are a few variations you can make by omitting a word here and there. Both sentences are correct in their proper context.

Answer 4

"I insist that he tells the truth" is the CORRECT form.

The rule is:
If the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular.
If the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural.

HE - subject
TELLS - singular form of the verb

Note:
Nouns with S are plural. Verbs with S are singular.

Answer 5

No difference. You are very insistent on both.

Answer 6

he tells= the correct form
when the subject is at 3rd person singular (he/she/it)the verb in Present Tens has "s" termination(like in first sentence).

Answer 7

The first sentence is correct. The second is not correct.