El SubjuntivoMaría Page

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Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines subjunctive as:

1. adj. 2. in grammar, designating or of that mood of a verb used to express condition, hypothesis, contingency, possibility, etc., rather than to state an actual fact: distinguished from imperative, indicative.

Examples of the subjunctive mood in English

Common expressions: • be that as it may • far be it from me • if it please the court • if need be • truth be told

• The subjunctive is not a tense; rather, it is a mood. Tense refers when an action takes place (past, present, future), while mood merely reflects how the speaker feels about the action. The subjunctive mood is rarely used in English, but it is widely used in Spanish.

• So far, you have studied verb tenses in the indicative mood. The indicative mood is used to express factual information, certainty, and objectivity. Usted va al Perú en diciembre.You are going to Peru in December.

• The above sentence merely reports the fact that you are going to Peru in December, so the indicative mood is used.

• The subjunctive mood is used to express everything except certainty and objectivity: things like doubt, uncertainty, subjectivity, etc. Yo dudo que usted vaya al Perú en diciembre.

I doubt that you are going to Peru in December. • Since the above statement does not express certainty,

the subjunctive (vaya) is required in the second clause.

How to conjugatethe subjunctive

• The subjunctive is formed like formal commands:

• For most verbs, the present subjunctive is formed by following these three steps:

1. Start with the yo form of the present indicative.

2. Then drop the -o ending.

3. Finally, add the following endings:-ar verbs:-e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en-er & -ir verbs:-a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an

• hablo - o = habl

habl + e = hablehabl + es = hableshabl + e = hablehabl + emos = hablemoshabl + éis = habléishabl + en = hablen

• como - o = com

com + a = comacom + as = comascom + a = comacom + amos = comamoscom + áis = comáiscom + an = coman

Regular -ar verbs like hablar (yo hablo).

Regular -er verbs like comer (yo como).

• Regular -ir verbs like vivir (yo vivo).

• vivo - o = viv

viv + a = vivaviv + as = vivasviv + a = vivaviv + amos = vivamosviv + áis = viváisviv + an = vivan

The formula also works for verbs that have irregular "yo" forms in the present indicative. Study these

examples:

• conocer (yo conozco)conozco - o = conozc

• conozc + a = conozcaconozc + as = conozcasconozc + a = conozcaconozc + amos = conozcamosconozc + áis = conozcáisconozc + an = conozcan

• tener (yo tengo)tengo - o = teng

• teng + a = tengateng + as = tengasteng + a = tengateng + amos = tengamosteng + áis = tengáisteng + an = tengan

• salir (yo salgo)salgo - o = salg

• salg + a = salgasalg + as = salgassalg + a = salgasalg + amos = salgamossalg + áis = salgáissalg + an = salgan

For -ar and -er stem-changing verbs, the formula applies except that there is no stem change in the

nosotros and vosotros forms. Study these

examples: • pensar (yo pienso)

pienso - o = piens

• piens + e = piensepiens + es = piensespiens + e = piensepens + emos = pensemospens + éis = penséispiens + en = piensen

• contar (yo cuento)cuento - o = cuent

• cuent + e = cuentecuent + es = cuentescuent + e = cuentecont + emos = contemoscont + éis = contéiscuent + en = cuenten

For -ir stem-changing verbs, the formula applies except that the stem change in the nosotros and vosotros forms follows these patterns: o:ue verbs change o to u; e:ie verbs change e to i; e:i

verbs change e to i. Study these examples:

• dormir (yo duermo)duermo - o = duerm

• duerm + a = duermaduerm + as = duermasduerm + a = duermadurm + amos = durmamosdurm + áis = durmáisduerm + an = duerman

• sentir (yo siento)siento - o = sient

• sient + a = sientasient + as = sientassient + a = sientasint + amos = sintamossint + áis = sintáissient + an = sientan

Lets review…moods

• INDICATIVE:

• SUBJUNCTIVE

1. TO STATE A FACT

2. TO EXPRESS CERTAINTY

3. TO EXPRESS REALITY

1. TO EXPRESS:A. UNCERTAINTYB. DOUBTC. WISHESD. DESIRESE. CONJECTUREF. SUPPOSITIONG. UNREAL

CONDITIONS

• The subjunctive mood is used to express uncertainty, as opposed to facts, It expresses emotions, feelings, and judgments about an action.

• It presents what the speaker considers to be doubtful, possible, necessary, or desired…

• The subjunctive generally occurs in dependent clauses.

A dependent clause is a group of words with a subject and a

predicate. However, it is not a complete sentence. (A complete

sentence is an independent clause).

• In the sentence, I doubt that John is intelligent,

the words:

“that John is intelligent” constitute a dependent clause. This clause is not a complete

statement without the addition of the independent clause I doubt.

Complete the handouts and

workbook pages

Remember…

• W - Wish/ want

• E - Emotion

• I - Impersonal expressions

• R - Request, permission, need

• D - Doubt, denial

• O - Ojalá

Para practicar:

• http://www.trinity.edu/mstroud/grammar/subje.htm• http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/exercises/subj_pres.html• http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/exercises/chart_pres-subj.html• http://www.studyspanish.com/practice/subj2.htm