"So that it be" vs "so that it is"

Recently on IRC I said this:

I do not believe in proving the correctness of already constructed programs. I believe in formally deriving programs so that they be correct.

And I got almost instantly corrected:

DijkstraGroupie: So that they are correct, you mean.

Checking on Wikipedia, I found the following:

I want you to give this money to him so that he have enough for lunch. (the conjunction "so that" takes a subjunctive in formal English)

What usage is correct, in this case?

Solution 1:

There is nothing wrong with: I believe in formally deriving programs so that they be correct. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (p1000) lists so (that) as one of the two purposive prepositions (along with in order that) that can take the subjunctive, although this is not common. The example given is:

• Extraordinary precautions were taken so that no stranger be allowed in the city.

Solution 2:

The subjunctive is rare in British English, but perhaps less so in American English. In either variety, I want you to give this money to him so that he have enough for lunch seems a most peculiar sentence. In British English it would be expressed as I want you to give this money to him so that he's got enough for lunch. In British English, too, your example so that they be correct would sound extremely formal. So that they're correct is what you'd hear most of the time.

Solution 3:

While using subjuntive, the part you should be careful is not "that" or "so that". It is used after certain expressions. Pay attention:

1) the verbs

ask, command, demand, insist, propose, recommend, request, suggest + (that) + subjuntive

He insists that the car park be locked at night.

2) expressions such as

it is desirable, essential, important, necessary, vital + (that) + subjuntive

It is essential that she be present.

Solution 4:

You really can't trust Wikipedia about matters of "grammatical correctness". I'm afraid that's quite wrong. There is no "subjunctive" to "take" in English, and in any case so that does not govern an untensed that-clause the way, say, important does.

• It's important that they be on time tomorrow.

Untensed that-clauses (which are often called "subjunctive") are just one more variety of complement, like infinitives without to or embedded questions, and in Modern English these are governed by predicates, not conjunctions.

Patrick Henry famously said "If this be treason, make the most of it." That was over 200 years ago. However, nobody talks (or writes) that way any more.