The Imperfect Subjunctive(El imperfecto de subjuntivo)

¿Qué pasó en el

senado?

El senador no permitió que

hablaran los otros senadores.

hablaron vendieron escribieron

If you start with the 3rd person plural and you know your preterit verbs, there are no irregular forms, that is, there is no verb that does not follow the rule.

How the imperfect subjunctive is formed

1. Start with the 3rd person plural (“aron, ieron”) form of the verb in the preterit tense:

ron2. Drop the -ron ending.

habla vendie escribie3. Add the following endings for all three

conjugations: -ra-ras-ra

-ramos-rais-ran

How the imperfect subjunctive is formed

1. Start with the 3rd person plural (“aron, ieron”) form of the verb in the preterit tense:

ron ron

How the imperfect subjunctive is formedExamples: Note that -er and -ir forms are identical.

Note also that first- and third-person singular forms are the same,and that all nosotros forms must carry a written accent.

hablar

hablara

hablaras

hablara

habláramos

hablarais

hablaran

escribir

escribiera

escribieras

escribiera

escribiéramos

escribierais

escribieran

vender

vendiera

vendieras

vendiera

vendiéramos

vendierais

vendieran

hablar

hablase

hablases

hablase

hablásemos

hablaseis

hablasen

escribir

escribiese

escribieses

escribiese

escribiésemos

escribieseis

escribiesen

How the imperfect subjunctive is formedNotice these alternate forms:

vender

vendiese

vendieses

vendiese

vendiésemos

vendieseis

vendiesenEverything that applies to the -ra forms applies also to the -se forms; however, the latter are more literary and are used more often in Spain than elsewhere.

The following chart shows the imperfect subjunctive forms of some common regular and irregular verbs.

Infinitive Third-person plural

tomarbeberescribircreerdecirestar

tomaronbebieronescribieroncreyerondijeronestuvieron

tomarabebieraescribieracreyeradijeraestuviera

First-person singular

haberirleer

Preterit Imperfect subjunctive

hubieronfueronleyeron

hubierafueraleyera

The following chart shows the imperfect subjunctive forms of some common regular and irregular verbs.

Infinitive Third-person plural

poderponerquerersabersertener

pudieronpusieronquisieronsupieronfuerontuvieron

pudierapusieraquisierasupierafueratuviera

First-person singular

traervenir

Preterit Imperfect subjunctive

trajeronvinieron

trajeraviniera

How the imperfect subjunctive is usedThe same principles that are applied in the present to determine whether to use the subjunctive or the indicative are also used in the past.

1. Cause or prevention.

3. Falseness or unreality.

2. Personal bias or emotion.

If the main clause expresses . . .

. . . the subjunctive is used in the subordinate clause.

ESCAPA

en caso de quesin quecon tal (de) queantes (de) quepara quea menos que

(in case)(without, unless)(provided that)(before)(so that, in order that)(unless)

How the imperfect subjunctive is usedThe past subjunctive is also always used after the following phrases (and a few other similar ones), just as with the present subjunctive.

If the verb in the main clause is in the . . .

present,future, or present perfect

the present subjunctive is used in the subordinate clause.

How the imperfect subjunctive is usedThe tense of the verb in the main clause normally determines whether to use the present or imperfect subjunctive in the subordinate clause.

preterit, imperfect, conditional, or

the imperfect subjunctive is used in the subordinate clause.

pluperfect

How the imperfect subjunctive is usedThe tense of the verb in the main clause normally determines whether to use the present or imperfect subjunctive in the subordinate clause.

If the verb in the main clause is in the . . .

If the verb in the main clause is in the . . .

present,future, orpresent perfect

The present subjunctive is used in the subordinate clause.

Insisto en que Tomás me ayude.

Insistiré en que Tomás me ayude.

He insistido en que Tomás me ayude.

How the imperfect subjunctive is used

Examples:

I insist that Tomás help me.

I will insist that Tomás help me.

I have insisted that Tomás help me.

preterit,imperfect,conditional, or

The imperfect subjunctive is used in the subordinate clause.pluperfect

Insistí en que Tomás me ayudara.

Insistía en que Tomás me ayudara.

Insistiría en que Tomás me ayudara.

Había insistido en que Tomás me ayudara.

How the imperfect subjunctive is usedIf the verb in the main clause is in the . . .

Examples:

I insisted that Tomás help me.

I (always) insisted that Tomás help me.

I would insist that Tomás help me.

I had insisted that Tomás help me.

Era importante que leyera mi horóscopo.

La meteoróloga insistió en que todos se refugiaran de la tempestad.

How the imperfect subjunctive is usedMore examples of the imperfect subjunctive:

It was important for me to read my horoscope.

The meteorologist insisted that everyone take cover from the storm.

Notice that the use of the preterit or imperfect in the main clause calls for the imperfect subjunctive in the subordinate clause.

El periodista quería que arregláramos la sala para la entrevista.

Era dudoso que contratáramos a aquel comentarista.

How the imperfect subjunctive is usedMore examples of the imperfect subjunctive:

The journalist wanted us to arrange the living room for the interview.

It was doubtful that we would hire that commentator.

Remember that a written accent is required on the first-person plural of the imperfect subjunctive forms.

El gobierno prohibió que pusiéramos esa información en el artículo.

The government prohibited us from putting that information in the article.

El reportero dudaba que controlaran el incendio.

Los televidentes pidieron que hubiera más programas serios.

How the imperfect subjunctive is usedThe imperfect subjunctive is required under the same conditions as the present subjunctive. However, the imperfect subjunctive is used to refer to events that were incomplete in relation to a past event. Compare the sentences below to the time line.

The reporter doubted that they would control the fire.

The TV viewers asked for there to be more serious shows.

Past FuturePresent

dudarpedir

controlarhaber

¡Ojalá (que) el patrocinador seleccionara mi guión!

¡Ojalá (que) no cancelaran mi serie favorita!

How the imperfect subjunctive is usedUse the imperfect subjunctive with ojalá when it means I wish (that).

I wish the sponsor would choose my script!

I wish they wouldn’t cancel my favorite series!

EXPANSIÓN More on structure and usage

Quisiera leer los anuncios clasificados.

¿Pudieras prestarme la sección deportiva?

How the imperfect subjunctive is used

Peticiones con el imperfecto de subjuntivo

I would like to read the classified ads.

Could you lend me the sports section?

A common use of the imperfect subjunctive is to make polite requests or statements. In such cases, the forms of the verbs querer, poder, and deber are used. Note the following examples.

Debiéramos ir al concurso. We should go to the game show.

FIN