Edith:

Those  were the sentences the Cambridge International Dictionary of English
used to illustrate "lest." I'd say they are further evidence that
distinctive subjunctive verb forms are dying out--or at least now coexist
with declarative forms used in subjunctive situations.

Dick

At 11:39 AM 7/16/2001, you wrote:
>Dick, will you respond to another question on the same sentences?!  I was
>surprised by the past tense on annoyed; I would have used the infinitive
>form--lest they annoy them; lest he annoy them. Likewise, in the second
>sentence, I would use ellipsis for the verb, but if called upon to supply
>it, it would be be, not is. So is this subjunctive dead or did it never
>exist except in my head?  If I had my grammar books at work, I would look
>this up, but I have taken them all home.
>
>Edith Wollin
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Richard Veit, UNCW English Department [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>
>The following is a direct quotation from the Cambridge International
>Dictionary of English <
>http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=lest*1+0:
>
>lest / conjunction / LITERARY
>  in order to prevent any possibility that (something will happen)
>  They were afraid to complain about the noise lest they annoyed the people
>next door.
>  Lest you think the film is too violent, I must assure you that it is not.