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Estructuras Gramaticales

Subjunctive OverviewTense: Indicates time of actionMood: attitude the speaker has toward

action

The subjunctive is a mood.

It generally occurs in dependent clauses (statements that cannot stand alone and are attached to main/independent clauses)

Subjunctive is used much more frequently in Spanish than English

Indicative/Subjuntive

IndictativeIndictative Is objective Describes facts is certain

SubjuntiveSubjuntive Expresses feelings, judgments, emotions Expresses what’s desirable, possible,

doubtful, uncertain…

Main Clause Dependent Clause

Statement of will, necessity or obligation, emotion or feeling, doubt, or possibility

que + subjunctive

Es importante que trabajes.

It’s important that you work.

Dudo que sepan la verdad.

I doubt that they know the truth.

Practice: Subjunctive or Indicative

Decide si los verbs indicados son idicativos o subjuntivos:

It’s important that you study.I think you are inteligent.It is strange that you play golf.You are short. It is a penalty.It’s necesary that they swim.

For verbs ending in:

Stem + Endings

-ar Yo form of the present indicative minus -o

-e,-es,-e,-emos, -éis,-en

-er,-ir -a,-as,-a,-amos, -áis,-an

El presente subjuntivo (Regular)

Derive regular present subjunctive forms from the following:

infinitive tomar beber vivir tener conocer

iresent Ind. Yo tomo bebo vivo tengo conozco

yo tome beba viva tenga conozca

tú tomes bebas vivas tengas conozcas

él/ella/Ud. tome beba viva tenga conozca

nosotros tomemos bebamos vivamos tengamos conozcamos

vosotros toméis bebáis viváis tengáis conozcáis

ellos/ellas/Uds tomen beban vivan tengan conozcan

Note: Some verbs have irregular changes to preserve the sound:

-car c qu (tocar = toque)

-zar z c (organizar = organice)

-gar g gu (pagar = pague)

The same patterns apply for stem changing and irregular verbs

(pensar, querer…)

Ir stem changing verbs have the folloing change for nosotros and

vosotros:e io u

Note: Stem Change Verbs

Subjunctive Examples: Stem Changing verbs

sentir sienta sintáis

dormir duerma durmamos

querer quiera quieramos

pensar piense piensemos

Infinitive Sub. 1S Sub 1P

Subjunctive uses: Voluntad

Sunjunctive may express

wish(strong or weak),

suggestion, order, or

forbidding of an action

Quiero que salgan conmigo.

I want them to they go out with me.

Quiero salir.

I want to go out.

When the wish concerns the subject, the

infinitive is used.

Verbos y expresiones de voluntad

Para hacer solicitudes y dar órdenesquerer(ie) que to wish, want

exigir que to demand, require

insistir en que to insist

mandar que to order

pedir (i) que to ask, request

rogar (ue) que to beg

suplicar que to beg

Para dar consejos

aconsejar que to advise

recomendar (ie) que to recommend

sugerir (ie) que to suggest

Para expresar deseo

desear que to wish

esperar que to hope

ojalá que to suggest

Para expresar preferencia

preferir (ie) que to prefer

Para expresar prohibición

impedir (i) to prevent

opnerse a que to be against, opposed to

prohibir que to forbid

Para dar permiso

dejar que to let

permitir que to let, allow

Note:

Verbs such as dejar, mandar, permitir, and prohibir may be followed by a

subjunctive or an infinitive construction when the object is a pronoun.

No te permito usar mi coche.

No te permito que uses mi coche.

Indirect Commands

Use the following format to express indirect commands to a third party:

Que + subjunctive + subject (if expressed)

¡Que entren! = Have (Let) them come in.

¡Que lo haga José! = Have (Let) José do it.

Subjunctive: Note

Certain verbs, such as decir and escribir, may be used to express fact or convey wish. They often

followed by indicative or subjuntive.

Fact = Indicative Wish = Subjunctive

Le digo que trabaja bien.

I tell him that he works well.

Le digo que trabaje más.

I tell him to work more.

ir vaya

ser sea

saber sepa

Irregular subjunctive stems, but regular endings

dar

estar

Extra accent marks in certain forms

The subjunctive of haber (hay) is haya.

Subjunctive: Irregular forms

infinitive ir ser saber dar estaryo vaya sea sepa dé esté

tú vayas seas sepas des estés

él/ella/Ud. vaya sea sepa dé esté

nosotros vayamos seamos sepamos demos estemos

vosotros vayáis seáis sepáis deis estéis

ellos/ellas/Uds vayan sean sepan den estén

Subjunctive: Irregular forms Cont.

Practice: Subjuntive conjugations

Congujate in subjunctive: saber (1s) tengo (2s) almorzar (3s) morir (1p)

Translate (May be subjunctive or indicative) : Have the students practice They want him to win. He wants to eat.

Subjunctive: Después de Expresiones Impersonales

Such expressions are followed by the infinitve when they don’t refer to anyone in particular:

The subjunctive is used after impersonal expressions that convey an implied command (es necesario que…), and

opinion, or a judgment( es bueno que…).

Es necesario que monte mi bicicleta mucho.

It’s necessary that I ride my bike a lot.

No es bueno que no esquies nada.

It’s not good that you don’t ski at all.

Es importante trabajar.

It is important (for people in general) to work.

es agradable que

es justo que

es absurdo que

es ridículo que

es raro que

es sorprendente que

es escandaloso que

vale la pena

expresiones impersonales

es bueno que

es malo que

es mejor que

es necesario que

es indispensable que

es importante que

es preciso (necessary) que

es una lástima que

I doubt you all(2p) tell the truth. It’s good that she swims. He forbid that we go out. Have the dog run. They to win. He wants her to lie. It’s a shame that they can’t read.

Practice: SubjunctiveTranslate

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