The Subjunctive In this slide show, we are going to look at a verb form that has all but disappeared from English – the subjunctive!

English examples If I were principal, I would let kids wear hoodies. What would you do if you were me? Fe fi fo fum I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he live or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.

Spanish examples: Tu hermano quiere que tú le des $5. Your brother wants you to give him $5

Mama desea que nosotros Spanish examples: Mama desea que nosotros lleguemos temprano. Mom wants us to arrive early

I hope you get a good grade on the final. Spanish examples: Espero que saquen una buena nota en el examen final. I hope you get a good grade on the final.

Look familiar?? look again at the verbs in the subjunctive: des, lleguemos, saquen the negative tú and the formal commands that you have already learned are forms of the subjunctive.

To form the subjunctive, you… Start with the Yo form take off the O add the opposite ending

Regular verbs: hablar hable, hables, hable, hablemos, habléis, hablen comer coma, comas, coma, comamos, comáis, coman vivir viva, vivas, viva, vivamos, viváis, vivan

Irregular yo forms: Hacer haga, hagas, haga, hagamos, hagáis, hagan Conocer conozca, conozcas, conozca, conozcamos, conozcáis, conozcan

-ar and –er stem changing verbs: no stem change in the nosotros or vosotros forms Cerrar cierre, cierres, cierre, cerremos, cerréis, cierren Volver vuelva, vuelvas, vuelva, volvamos, volváis, vuelvan

-ir stem changing verbs DO stem change in the nosotros and vosotros forms Servir (e to i) Sirva, sirvas, sirva, sirvamos, sirváis, sirvan Preferir (e to ie) prefiera, prefieras, prefiera, prefiramos, prefiráis, prefieran Dormir (o to ue) Duerma, duermas, duerma, durmamos, durmáis, duerman

Irregulars D dar: dé, des, dé, demos, déis, den I ir: vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan S ser: sea, seas, sea, seamos, seáis, sean H haber: haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan E estar: esté, estés, esté, estemos, estéis, estén S saber: sepa, sepas, sepa, sepamos, sepáis, sepan

Let’s look again at the Spanish examples…

Tu hermano quiere tú que le des $5. Your brother wants you to give him $5 One person (your brother) wants another person (you) to do something (give him $5). However, there is no guarantee that you will give him $5 just because he wants you to.

Mama desea que nosotros lleguemos temprano. Mom wants us to arrive early One person (Mom) wants someone else (us) to do something (arrive early). However, there is no guarantee that we will just because Mom wants us to.

I hope you get a good grade on the final. Espero que saquen una buena nota en el examen final. I hope you get a good grade on the final. One person (I) hopes that someone else (you) does something (gets a good grade). There is no guarantee that you will do so just because I hope you do.

The subjunctive In Spanish, we use the subjunctive to show that these actions – give money, arrive early, get a good grade – may or may not occur. It shows uncertainty.

Mama quiere | que | lleguemos temprano. Notice… Mama quiere | que | lleguemos temprano. The word que divides the sentence into two halves (clauses). 1. the expression of wish or desire (indicative). 2. the action that may or may not occur (sunjunctive).

Notice also… … that the subject in the first half is always different from the subject in the second half: TU HERMANO quiere que TU le des… MAMA quiere que NOSOTROS lleguemos... YO Espero que USTEDES saquen… The first subject is trying to spur the second subject into action, and we don’t know if the action will ever happen.

Compare this… … to sentences where there is no change in subject: Quiero salir ahora. Tom quiere llegar a las 5. Me gustaría comer pizza. When the subject is the same, there is higher probability that the second action will take place so the second verb is in the infinitive.

Uses of the subjunctive In Spanish, we use the subjunctive to show: U W E I R D O Uncertainty Wishes Emotional commentary Impersonal expressions Regret Doubt Orders

U. W. E. I. R. D. O. Uncertainty: No creo [I don’t believe] que Laura venga a la fiesta. No pienso que pueda venir.

U. W. E. I. R. D. O. Wishes Quiero que tú puedas visitarme durante las vacaciones.

U. W. E. I. R. D. O. Emotion Me alegro que ganes el concurso. Me enoja [it makes me mad] que Juan no trabaje más en este proyecto.

U. W. E. I. R. D. O. Impersonal expressions Es ridículo que Gloria sea la presidenta del club de alemán – ¡ella estudia español! Impersonal expressions don’t have a “human” subject. Some impersonal expressions in Spanish include: es bueno, es malo, es necesario, es difícil, es imposible, es triste…

U. W. E. I. R. D. O. Regret Lo siento que tu abuela esté enferma. Lamento que no podamos asistir a la reunión.

U. W. E. I. R. D. O. Doubt Dudo que alguien sea capaz de sacar un 100% en el examen final de física – ¡es un curso muy difícil!

U. W. E. I. R. D. O. Order Te mando que pares. Te prohibo que uses tus apuntes [notes] durante el examen.