When to use the subjunctive and how to form its four tenses

1. When to use the subjunctive and how to form its four tenses Definition: A set of verb forms required in clauses of certain types. The four types of clauses: Subordinated noun clauses Subordinated adjective clauses Adverbial clauses Hypothetical or contrary to fact statements

2. Define the subjunctive • Set of verb forms-this is the mental framework on which to place corresponding sets of rules for deciding if the subjunctive is needed • Students have been led to believe that the subjunctive is all about doubt and uncertainty on the part of the speaker, but this is only one aspect of one clause

3. The four tenses you need to know Present Subjunctive • Use Yo- form of the Pres. Indict. • With –ar change the –o to an -e, and for –er and -ir , change – o to –a. • Reference all forms by their stem • Ir/haber-vaya/haya, ser/ver-sea/vea, saber/caber-sepa/quepa

4. The four tenses you need to know • The Imperfect Subjunctive • Begins with the use of the third person plural of the preterite • For all verbs remove -on and replace with –a and conjugate. • Tuvieron = tuvier-on = tuvier+a= tuviera New YO form! • Irregulars from original preterite follow us into the imperfect subjunctive, know your forms!

5. The four tenses you need to know • Present Perfect subjunctive • Use haber plus past participle –ido and -ado • Pres.perf.indictpres.perf.subj • He haya (present subj.) • Has hayas • Ha haya + ido or ado • Hemoshayamos • Habéishayáis • Han hayan

6. Present Perfect subjunctive • Irregular past participles • Abrir -abierto • Cubrir -cubierto • Decir -dicho • Escribir -escrito • Hacer -hecho • Imprimir -impreso • Morir -muerto • Poner -puesto • Romper -roto • Solver -suelto • Ver -visto • Volver -vuelto

7. The four tenses you need to know • Pluperfect subjunctive • Uses the imperfect subjunctive plus past participle. • Hubiera • Hubieras • Hubiera + ido or ado • Hubiéramos • Hubiérais • Hubieran

8. Sequence of tenses and the subjunctive • Understanding which tenses can or must be used in subordinated clauses, introduced by main clauses in which the various indicative tenses are used • Need to understand Temporal logic of the four forms..Choice depends on the time of action of the main verb

9. Temporal Logic • Ojalá que Juan venga a la fiesta. (pres.subj.) • I pray to God that Jon comes to the party. • Ojalá que Juan hayavenido a la fiesta. (pres.per.subj.) • I pray to God that Jon has come to the party. • Ojalá que Juan viniera a la fiesta. (imp.subj.) • I pray to God that Jon were coming to the party. • Ojalá que Juan hubieravenido a la fiesta. (plu.subj.) • I pray to God that Jon had come to the party.

10. Ojalá que Juan venga a la fiesta. (pres.subj.)I pray to God that Jon comes to the party. • Present subjunctive is used when the action of the verb is in either the present or future. • Party is either in progress –Jon will yet come, or it is being planned –Jon will come to it.

11. Ojalá que Juan hayavenido a la fiesta. (pres.per.subj.)I pray to God that Jon has come to the party. • Present perfect subjunctive is used to express an action that has taken place and whose influence is still in effect. • The party is actually going on, the speaker has not seen Jon, but is quite hopeful that Jon is there.

12. Ojalá que Juan viniera a la fiesta. (imp.subj.)I pray to God that Jon were coming to the party. He knows that he is not going to come. • Imperfect subjunctive is used to express a strong doubt about Jon’s attendance to the party. If the party is in the planning stages the speaker is highly doubtful that Jon will accept, or the party is in effect and Jon’s arrival is also doubtful or highly unlikely. • The speaker could have used present perfect subjunctive to express the same doubt, but used the imperfect subjunctive to express counterfactual propositions. (counter to his observations of facts or expectations.)

13. Ojalá que Juan hubieravenido a la fiesta. (plu.subj.)I pray to God that Jon had come to the party. • The pluperfect subjunctive is used for an action that is viewed as prior to some other action in the past. (past within a past) • In this example the party is not only over, but Jon’s arrival is viewed as something that (logically) would have had to have occurred before the party ended. • Jon never showed up!

14. Subordinate Noun Clauses • Acts like a large direct object (noun) that answers the question of WHAT, answering that question posed by the verb at the end of the main clause. • Yodeseoque el maestro explique el subjunctivo. (S1 + V1 que S2 + V2) • I want the teacher to explain the subjunctive. (accusative plus infinitive construct.) • Notice that in English the construct is quite different. • Change English sentence to – I want thatthe teacher explain the subjunctive. Now we see the subordinate noun clause!!

15. The rule for subordinate noun clauses! • The rule is that V2 must be in the subjunctive form if and only if there is a change of subject, that is if S1 and S2 are not the same person and if V1 is a WEIRDO verb! • S1 ≠ S2 + (V1 = WEIRDO) = S2 + V2 (in subjunctive) • Only subordinate noun clauses use WEIRDO!!

16. Subordinate Noun Clauses and WEIRDO

17. Subordinate Noun Clauses and WEIRDO • Quieroque Juan venga la fiesta. –I want Jon to come to the party. • Me alegrode que Juan venga a la fiesta. –I am glad Jon is coming to the party. • Es importanteque Juan venga a la fiesta. –It is important for Jon to come to the party. • Vamos a pedirlequevenga a la fiesta. –Let’s ask for him to come to the party. • Dudoque Juan venga a la fiesta. -I doubt that Jon will come to the party. • ¡Ojalá quevenga Juan a la fiesta! –I hope to God that Jon comes to the party!

18. Subordinate Noun Clauses and WEIRDO • Let’s take a look at the D category. The one representing Doubt. • Túcreesque la fiesta eshoy. –You believe that the party is today. (indicative) • Nosotrosdudamosque la fiesta sea hoy. –We doubt that the party is today. (subjunctive) • The rule says that if there is belief one will use the indicative and if there is Doubt then one must use the subjunctive. • Túno creesque la fiesta sea hoy. –You don’t believe (doubt) that the party is today. (subjunctive) • Nosotrosno dudamosque la fiesta eshoy. –You don’t doubt (believe) that the party is today. (indicative) • Here the sentences have been changed, that only the rule about doubt is reflected. If you express doubt you must use the subjunctive!

19. Subordinated adjective clauses • What is it? It is a clause that modifies an indefinite, vague, or nonexistent (unreal) antecedent. • An antecedent is a previously mentioned noun. • Necesitamosunacomputadoraquefuncione(subjunctive). The noun computer is not mentioned in the secondary adj. clause. • We need a computor that works. We need a computer that is a working computer(antecedent). • Necesitamosunacomputadorafuncional (adjective- modifies computer).

20. Subordinated adjective clauses • If the adjective clause expresses some kind of need or search for something then it must be presented with the subjunctive. Necesitamosunacomputadoraquefuncione. (subjunctive) • If we have it or it is a definte (demonstrated by using a define article) then the indicative is use. Tenemosunacomputadoraquefunciona. Necesitamoslacomputadoraquefunciona. (indicative)

21. Adverbial Clauses • There is no test to decide if there is an adverbial clause only an expression that must be memorized, a list of A and B where you must memorize B. • When using an adverbial expression that could be followed by a subjunctive or indicative depends on a key temporal concept- anticipation. • Consider anticipation to be the key word when deliberating about needing the subjunctive with adverbial expressions.

22. Adverbial ClausesList ‘A’ Always use the subjunctive after these expressions!

23. Adverbial ClausesList ‘A’ Always use the subjunctive after these expressions! • ** Esechicocorrecomosinacieraparaello. • That kid runs as if he were born for it. (present indict./imperfect subjunctive) • ** Esechicocorríacomosihubieranacidoparaello. • That kid ran as if he had been born for it. (imperfect indict./pluperfect subjunctive)

24. Adverbial ClausesList ‘B’ Sometimes use the subjunctive after these expressions!

25. Aunque • Understanding of how attitude plays a part in why the subjunctive is used. • Aunque Juan esrico, no lo parece. • Even though Jon is rich, he doesn’t seem to be. (indicative by attitude or confidence) • Aunque Juan sea rico, no lo parece. • Although Jon may be rich, he doesn’t seem to be. (subjunctive by attitude or confidence)* • *In English we might have used MAY to indicate doubt.

26. Side note! Anticipation! • An example of how to use the subjunctive when using anticipation: • Yoiré al cine después de que Juan me llame. • I’ll go to the movies after Jon calls me. Jon’s call is anticipated. The speaker states that he will go to the movies only after he gets the call from Juan. The subjunctive is required not because of attitude of speaker, but because anticipation is being expressed. • You fui al cine después de que Juan me llamó. • I went to the movies after Jon called me. The speaker is reporting what happened yesterday, no anticipation so the indicative is used.

27. Contrary to fact statements • You must learn to recognize the difference between a cause and effect statement and a hypothetical one. Also known as a contrary to fact statement. • Si manejascomo loco, tepondránunamulta. If you drive like a maniac, they will give you a ticket. (cause and effect statement)

28. Contrary to fact statements • Si manejarascomo loco, tepondríanunamulta. If you drove like a maniac, they would give you a ticket. (hypothetical statement) • Imperfect subjunctive/conditional indicative • The imperfect subjunctive sets up the hypothetical circumstance and the conditional shows the results.

29. Contrary to fact statements • Remember how the phrase COMO SI always requires the imperfect subjunctive or the pluperfect subjunctive….they introduce hypothetical statements!! • Trabajacomosi la vidadependiera de ello. • He works as if his life depended on it. • Se veíacomosihubieravisto un fantasma. • He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

30. Contrary to fact statements • Si hubierasmanejadocomo loco, tehabríanpuestounamulta. If you had driven like a maniac, they would have given you a ticket. • Pluperfect subjunctive/conditional perfect indicative • The pluperfect subjunctive sets up the hypothetical circumstance and the conditional perfect shows the results. Or what would happened but never did.

31. Contrary to fact statements • Remember that imperfect and pluperfect subjunctive are exclusively used in the IF clause and the conditional and conditional perfect indicative are used in the clause expressing the suspected result (what would happen or would have happened).