The Subjunctive Year 12

All too frequently, the topic of the subjunctive is made far more difficult than is necessary. Let's try a slightly different approach, with the goal of making this topic less troublesome.

¿Cuando va a venir María? ¡Dudo que venga!

What is the subjunctive? The subjunctive is not a tense; rather, it is a mood. Tense refers when an action takes place (past, present, future), while mood merely reflects how the speaker feels about the action. The subjunctive mood is rarely used in English, but it is widely used in Spanish.

So far, you have studied verb tenses in the indicative mood So far, you have studied verb tenses in the indicative mood. The indicative mood is used to express factual information, certainty, and objectivity. Usted va a Perú en diciembre. You are going to Peru in December. The above sentence merely reports the fact that you are going to Peru in December, so the indicative mood is used.

Let's make a change to our example: Dudo que usted vaya a Perú en diciembre. I doubt that you are going to Peru in December. In the above sentence, the clause "dudo" introduces a quality of uncertainty, -- the speaker does have doubt, so here the subjunctive mood is used in the second clause (vaya).

The subjunctive mood is used to express everything except certainty and objectivity: things like doubt, uncertainty, subjectivity, etc. Yo dudo que usted vaya a Perú en diciembre. I doubt that you are going to Peru in December. Since the above statement does not express certainty, the subjunctive (vaya) is required in the second clause.

certainty/objectivity (indicative) and The difference between indicative and subjunctive is the difference between: certainty/objectivity (indicative) and possibility/subjectivity (subjunctive).

Esta soy yo Soy una mujer de 60 años Me gusta mucho escribir y hacer jardinería Tengo 2 nietos guapísimos Soy viuda

Busco un hombre… …que sea muy amable …que ame la naturaleza …que sea inteligente …que me haga reir

¡Qué horror! Este hombre no me gusta Es un hombre joven y yo quiero un hombre que sea de mi edad

Más detalles de mi hombre ideal, pues me gustaría… …que fuera romántico …que me llevara a bailes …que fuéramos a conciertos juntos

No, no… Quiero que sea de mi edad, pero no tan viejo Este hombre no puede bailar y yo quiero que baile

Sí, sí, este hombre me gusta… Es un hombre de mi edad Es un hombre aventurero Es un hombre atractivo

Ahora sólo falta… …que me quiera …que me ame …que me adore …que quiera a mis hijos …y que nos enamoremos

possibility constructions In pairs using the words given to you, re-create the spider diagram as below. Negative commands futurity Need purpose Conjunctions ojala Wish other Subjunctive Ask / advice verbs other constructions whatever/ however Doubt / Uncertainty Emotion possibility constructions perhaps verbs

Attach the following words by their appropriate bubbles hace falta que me alegro de modo que tengo miedo con tal que asi que Para que cuando Hasta que Me alegro No creo gustaria es necesario de forma que digan lo que digan despues de que pase lo que pase antes de que sin que querer mientras en cuanto dudar desear aconsejar pedir no pienso no es que una vez siento hasta que Es posible que tan pronto como es importante que es probable que no puede ser que

Translate the following sentences in Spanish, which sentences are indicative and which are subjunctive? 1. John goes to the store. 2. I hope that John goes to the store. 3. I want John to go to the store. 4. I know that John goes to the store. 5. It’s good that John goes to the store. 6. It is possible that John goes to the store. 7. There is no doubt that John goes to the store. 8. It is possible that John will go to the store.