The Subjunctive Verb Mood (all cards) Flashcards
What is important to remember about the subjunctive’s nature, especially in relationship to the indicative?
Remember that the subjunctive is almost always triggered. It almost always occurs in a dependent clause in which the independent clause used the indicative.
Independent clause w/ indicative + que + dependent clause w/ subjunctive.
I hope that this steak tastes good.
- (I hope) would be indicative, because it is something that is actually happening/has happened.
- “that” is what connects the indicative independent clause to subjunctive dependent clause.
- “steak tastes good” is something that is unknown/subjective/hasn’t been manifested into reality yet. We don’t know if the steak tastes good yet, so we do not speak indicatively of its goodness because our knowledge doesn’t know whether that goodness actually exists yet.
Syntactically, the two clauses are always connected by a conjunction, almost always “que.”
Dudo (indicative) que (conjunction) vaya (subjunctive) al concierto.
I doubt that I will come to the concert.
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DOUBTS AND UNCERTAINTIES
When are are asserting that something is true, the assumption is that it is indicative reality, so we used the indicative. When expressed a doubt or uncertainty, we are, by definition, calling the reality of something into question, thus forcing it into a “subjunctive” mode of speech.
Es (indicative) cierto que podemos (indicative) ver el programa.
It’s certain that we can watch the program.
Creen que funciona el televisor.
They believe the TV is working.
VS.
Dudamos (indicative) que podamos (subjunctive) ver el programa. We doubt that we'll be able to watch the program. No creen (indicative) que funcione (subjunctive) el televisor. They don't think that the TV is working.
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POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
The most raw version of the indicative/subjunctive dependency. It literally is a sentence constructions exercising the idea of interdependency between the indicative and subjunctive states of being.
These constructions can necessitate the subjunctive or indicative in their expressions. The biggest difference is whether what is expressed has actually happened or is assumed/desired to happen.
These use subjunctive:
El medico dice que puedo hacer ejercicio con tal de que no me sienta peor.
The doctor says I can exercise as long as I don’t feel worse.
Fue al hospital en cuanto llegó Nati de la oficina.
She went to the hospital as soon as Nati arrived from the office.
Debes quedarte en cama hasta que nos llame el medico.
You should remain in bed until the doctor calls us.
When something has already been done or is done habitually and we’re expressing the interdependency of outcomes, we just use the indicative.
Ella siempre va al hospital tan pronto como viene la niñera.
She always goes to the hospital as soon as the babysitter arrives.
Ella fue al hospital tan pronto como vino la niñera.
She went to the hospital as soon as the babysitter arrived.
When something hasn’t been done yet, we use the subjunctive:
Ella va al hospital tan pronto como venga la niñera.
She’s going to the hospital as soon as the babysitter arrives (which hasn’t happened yet and it is not known when it will).
In what modes of speech is the subjunctive used?
W.E.I.R.D.O, the nonexistent, and the possible:
Wishes Emotions Impersonal Expressions Recommendations Doubts Ojalá
the
Nonexistent
and the
Possible.
After (remember, it’s almost always triggered):
- Wishes (Volition/Desires/Opinion) - phrases used to express your desire for something to occur
Mis amigos quieren que yo vaya con ellos al gimnasio.
My friends desire that I go with them to the gym.
Marta no recomienda que vayamos al concierto.
Marta doesn’t recommend that we go to the concert.
-Emotion:
Me alegro de que te sientas mejor.
I am happy that you feel better.
A ellos les encanta que haya muchos cines aqui.
They love that there are many theaters here.
-Impersonal Expressions/Generalizations:
Es importante que sigas las instrucciones de la enfermera.
(As a general rule ) it is important that you follow the nurse’s instructions.
Es importante que lleguemos a tiempo.
It’s important that we arrive on time.
-Recommendations:
Te aconsejo que comas la desayuno todos los dias.
I recommend that you eat breakfast every day.
-Doubt or uncertainty:
Dudan que el medico sepa la repuesta.
They doubt that the doctor knows the answer.
- Ojalá (“I hope; I wish”)
Ojalá tengamos tiempo para comer una cena nutritiva hoy.
I hope that we have time to eat a nutritious dinner today.
Ojalá (que) la película sea buena.
I hope that the movie is good. - Nonexistent and indefinite:
No veo a nadie que conozcamos.
I don’t see anyone we know here. (a person we know doesn’t exist here)
Buscan un teatro que se especialice en comedias.
They are looking for a theater that specialized in comedies. (But they’re not sure whether it actually exists).
When you are sure that something exists, you just use the indicative:
Veo a alguien que conocemos.
I see someone that we know.
Conoces un teatro que se especializa en comedias.
You know of a theater that specializes in comedies.
- Possible outcomes (indicative or subjunctive):
Ella fue al hospital tan pronto como vino (ind) la niñera.
She went to the hospital as soon as the babysitter came.
Ella va al hospital tan pronto como venga (sub) la niñera.
She will go to the hospital as soon as the babysitter comes.
What is the subjunctive mood?
As a mood (as opposed to a tense), the subjunctive allows a speaker to
- Express a variety of subjective nuances, such as hopes, wishes, desires, doubts, and opinions.
- To express unknown or hypothetical situations.
What is the difference between a “tense” and a “mood”?
A verb tense is a form of a verb that indicates when an action took place, is taking place, or will take place. The present indicative, the present progressive, the preterite, and the imperfect are all verb tenses (the preterite and imperfect are different aspects of the same past tense).
A verb mood refers to a verb form that expresses attitudes toward actions and events. For instance, the “indicative” mood is used to make statements which “indicate” objective, factual, or real information. The “imperative” mood is used to express a “demand.”
Does the subjunctive have tenses?
Yes. Like the indicative, the subjunctive has tenses.
The present subjunctive, like the present indicative, expresses what happens regularly, what is happening now, and what is about to happen. The difference is that the present subjunctive views these present-tense events through a subjective, emotional, or contrary-to-fact filter.
How do you form a present subjunctive construction?
Person 1 + indicative verb + que + Person 2 + subjunctive verb.
Adela quiere que David venga a la fiesta. Adela wants (that) David come to the party.
How do you form a subjunctive verb?
Take the present indicative “yo” form of the verb, delete the “o”, and add the subjunctive endings. Using the “yo” form of the present indicative verb assures that any irregularities (such as stem changes) are automatically carried over into the present subjunctive forms.
What are the stem endings to a present subjunctive -ar verb?
e
es
e
emos
éis
en
_____
hable
hables
hable
hablemos
habléis
hablen
What are the stem endings to a present subjunctive -er and -ir verbs?
a
as
a
amos
áis
an
______
coma
comas
coma
comamos
comáis
coman
escriba
escribas
escriba
escribamos
escribáis
escriban
Does the present indicative stem change behavior carry over into all forms of the present subjunctive?
No.
In -ir present indicative stem changing verbs, all forms of the present subjunctive are changed:
pedir -> (yo) pido -> (yo subj) pida
pida pidas pida pidamos pidáis pidan
But, in present indicative -ar and -er stem changing verbs, the stem changes follow the same rules as the present indicative (ie: they do not stem change in the nosotros or vosotros forms)
poder -> puedo -> pueda
pueda puedas pueda *podamos *podáis puedan
What is unique about the present subjunctive stem changes of “dormir” and “morir”?
In addition to having a stem change in all forms, they reflect an additional o -> u stem change in the nos. and vos. forms:
dormir:
duerma
duermas
duerma
*durmamos
*durmáis
duerman
morir:
muera
mueras
muera
*muramos
*muráis
mueran
What spelling changes need to be accounted for when conjugating to the present subjunctive?
c -> qu
g -> gu
z -> c
buscar: busque busques busque busquemos busquéis busquen
llegar: llegue llegues llegue lleguemos lleguéis lleguen
comenzar: comience comiences comience comencemos comencéis comencen
Conjugate the present subjunctive of the verb dar:
dar:
dé
des
dé
demos
deis
den
Conjugate the present subjunctive of the verb estar:
estar:
esté
estés
esté
estemos
estéis
estén
Conjugate the present subjunctive of the verb ir:
ir:
vaya
vayas
vaya
vayamos
vayáis
vayan
