Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish (149 page)

Read Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish Online

Authors: Margarita Madrigal

Tags: #Reference, #Language Arts & Disciplines

THE SUBJUNCTIVE EXPRESSES ACTION THAT HAS NOT TAKEN PLACE

CUANDO (
when
), followed by action in the future, requires the subjunctive.

   
EXAMPLES
:

  1. when he comes
    (in the future), cuando
    venga
  2. when he does it
    (in the future), cuando
    lo haga
  3. when he arrives
    (in the future), cuando
    llegue
  4. 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.

  1. TAL VEZ (
    maybe
    )
    Tal vez
    venga.
    Maybe he’ll come
    .
  2. QUIZÁ, QUIZÁS (
    maybe
    )
    Quizá
    lo haga.
    Maybe he’ll do it
    .
    Quizás
    venga.
    Maybe he’ll come
    .
  3. ES POSIBLE QUE (
    it is possible that
    )
    Es posible que
    termine.
    It’s possible that he will finish
    .
  4. POSIBLEMENTE (
    possibly
    )
  5. PUEDE SER QUE (
    it may be that
    )
    Puede ser que
    hable
    con mi tío.
    It may be that he will talk to my uncle
    .
  6. 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.

  1. ES PROBABLE QUE (
    it is probable that
    )
    Es probable que lo haga.
    It’s probable that he will do it.
  2. 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
.
THE
PAST 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:

  1. QUERÍA QUE,
    I wanted you, him, her, to
     …
  2. ESPERABA QUE,
    I hoped that you, he, she would
     …
  3. DUDABA QUE,
    I doubted that you, he, she would
     …
  4. TEMÍA QUE,
    I feared that you, he, she would
     …
  5. PREFERÍA QUE,
    I preferred that you, he, she would
     …

The following
expressions usually indicate single completed action, so they are in the preterite.

  1. DIJO QUE,
    he said that you should
     …
  2. PIDIÓ QUE,
    he asked that you
     …
  3. EXIGIÓ QUE,
    he demanded that you
     …
  4. LE ROGÓ QUE,
    he begged that you, he, she
     …
  5. LE SUPLICÓ QUE,
    he begged that you, he, she
     …
  6. LE PROPUSO QUE,
    he proposed that you, he, she
     …
  7. 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

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