Read Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish Online
Authors: Margarita Madrigal
Tags: #Reference, #Language Arts & Disciplines
Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish (149 page)
THE SUBJUNCTIVE EXPRESSES ACTION THAT HAS NOT TAKEN PLACE
CUANDO (
when
), followed by action in the future, requires the subjunctive.
EXAMPLES
:
- when he comes
(in the future), cuando
venga - when he does it
(in the future), cuando
lo haga - when he arrives
(in the future), cuando
llegue - when he hears it
(in the future), cuando
lo oiga
When “cuando” is not followed by action in the future it does not require the subjunctive. “When he did it” (cuando lo hizo) is an accomplished fact. The action has taken place, therefore it is not expressed in the subjunctive. The subjunctive is used to express the uncertainty of an action that has not taken place.
HASTA QUE
(
until
) requires the subjunctive when followed by action in the future. Hasta que
venga
.
Until he comes
; Hasta que lo
haga
,
Until he does it
.
SUBJUNCTIVE
Quédese hasta que
termine
el trabajo.
Stay until you finish the work
.
NOT SUBJUNCTIVE
Se quedó hasta que terminó el trabajo.
He stayed until he finished the work
. This sentence is not in the subjunctive because “hasta que” is
NOT
followed by action in the future.
AUNQUE (
even though, even if
) requires the subjunctive when followed by action in the future.
Aunque
venga
.
Even if he comes
; Aunque
vaya
.
Even if he goes
.
CONTAL QUE (
provided that
) requires the subjunctive.
Con tal que
se quede.
Provided that he stays
.
PARA QUE
(
so that
) requires the subjunctive when it expresses the purpose of an action.
Lo cuidamos para que no
se enferme.
We take care of him so that he won’t get sick
.
THE “MAYBE” FAMILY
All
expressions that mean “maybe” are followed by the subjunctive.
- TAL VEZ (
maybe
)
Tal vez
venga.
Maybe he’ll come
. - QUIZÁ, QUIZÁS (
maybe
)
Quizá
lo haga.
Maybe he’ll do it
.
Quizás
venga.
Maybe he’ll come
. - ES POSIBLE QUE (
it is possible that
)
Es posible que
termine.
It’s possible that he will finish
. - POSIBLEMENTE (
possibly
) - PUEDE SER QUE (
it may be that
)
Puede ser que
hable
con mi tío.
It may be that he will talk to my uncle
. - PUEDE QUE (
it may be that
)
Puede que
visite
a mi tío.
It may be that he will visit my uncle
.
P
ROBABILITY
Expressions of probability are followed by the subjunctive.
- ES PROBABLE QUE (
it is probable that
)
Es probable que lo haga.
It’s probable that he will do it. - PROBABLEMENTE (
probably
)
Probablemente
gane.
Probably he will win (He’ll probably win
).
NO CREO QUE (
I don’t think that
) is ALWAYS followed by the subjunctive.
CREO QUE (
I think that
) is NEVER followed by the subjunctive.
EXAMPLES
:
| Subjunctive 1. | No creo que compre la casa. I don’t think he’ll buy the house . |
| Not subjunctive 2. | Creo que va a comprar la casa. I think that he is going to buy the house . |
| Subjunctive 1. | No creo que estudie. I don’t think he studies . |
| Not subjunctive 2. | Creo que estudia mucho. I think he studies a lot . |
THEPAST SUBJUNCTIVE
PAST SUBJUNCTIVE
ENDINGS
When an
expression that requires the subjunctive is in the present tense, it requires the present subjunctive; when it is in the past tense it requires the past subjunctive.
| PRESENT INDICATIVE | PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE |
| Quiero que________________________________ compre la casa. | |
| I want you ________________________________ to buy the house . | |
| PAST IMPERFECT | PAST SUBJUNCTIVE |
| Quería que________________________________ comprara la casa. | |
| I wanted you ________________________________ to buy the house . |
The following expressions require the past subjunctive because they are in the past. These expressions are usually used in the imperfect as below:
- QUERÍA QUE,
I wanted you, him, her, to
… - ESPERABA QUE,
I hoped that you, he, she would
… - DUDABA QUE,
I doubted that you, he, she would
… - TEMÍA QUE,
I feared that you, he, she would
… - PREFERÍA QUE,
I preferred that you, he, she would
…
The following
expressions usually indicate single completed action, so they are in the preterite.
- DIJO QUE,
he said that you should
… - PIDIÓ QUE,
he asked that you
… - EXIGIÓ QUE,
he demanded that you
… - LE ROGÓ QUE,
he begged that you, he, she
… - LE SUPLICÓ QUE,
he begged that you, he, she
… - LE PROPUSO QUE,
he proposed that you, he, she
… - LE PROHIBIÓ QUE,
he forbade that you, he, she
…
The plural third person PRETERITE and the PAST subjunctive are alike except for the ending.
| THIRD PERSON PRETERITE (PL.) | PAST SUBJUNCTIVE |
 TUVIERON (they had ) | TUV IERA |
| ESTUVIERON ( they were ) | ESTUV IERA |
| ANDUVIERON ( they walked ) | ANDUV IERA |
| HICIERON ( they did, made ) | HIC IERA |
| PUSIERON ( they put ) | PUS IERA |
| SUPIERON ( they knew ) | SUP IERA |
| TRAJERON ( they brought ) | TRAJ ERA |
| DIJERON ( they said ) | DIJ ERA |
| CAYERON ( they fell ) | CAY ERA |
| OYERON ( they heard ) | OY ERA |
| FUERON ( they went ) | FU ERA |