Download Imperfect Subjunctive

¡Más Subjuntivo!
El Imperfecto del Subjuntivo
The Imperfect subjunctive
All imperfect subjunctive verbs are formed by
dropping the –ron ending of the third person
plural of the preterit and adding the following
endings:
-ra form
-se form
-ra
-ramos
-se
-semos
-ras
-rais
-ses
-seis
-ra
-ran
-se
-sen
Examples of regular and irregular verbs
infinitive
3rd person plural preterit
1st person singular past
Subjunctive
tomar
tomaron
tomara/tomase
beber
bebieron
bebiera/bebiese
escribir
escribieron
escribiera/escribiese
caer
cayeron
cayera/cayese
decir
dijeron
dijera/dijese
ir/ser
fueron
fuera/fuese
The preterit of Hay is hubo; the imperfect
subjunctive is hubiera/hubiese.
• Juan esperaba que hubiera/hubiese bastante
comida para la fiesta.
– Juan hoped that there was enough food for the
party.
The first person plural requires a
written accent.
(that’s the nosotros form!)
• cayéramos / cayésemos
• tomáramos / tomásemos
Past subjunctive is required under the same
conditions as the present subjunctive, but the
point of reference is in the past.
• Juan duda que el pavo esté cocinado.
– Johns doubts that the turkey is cooked.
• Juana dudaba que el pavo estuviera cocinado.
– John doubted that the turkey was cooked.
A common use of the imperfect subjunctive is to
make polite requests or statements with the
verbs querer, poder, and deber.
• Quisiera probar las albóndigas.
– I would like to taste the meatballs.
• ¿Pudieras pasarme las empanadas?
– Could you please pass me the turnovers?
• Deberian seguir la receta.
– You should follow the recipe.
A si clause states a condition that must be met in order
for something to happen. The verb in a simple si clause
is usually in the present indicative, while the verb in the
result clause is in the present or future tense.
• Si no sacas el helado del congelador ahora,
estará muy duro cuando lo sirvas.
– If you don’t take the ice cream out of the freezer
now, it will be very hard when you serve it.
• Si quieres, comemos fresas de postre.
– If you want, we’ll eat strawberries for dessert.
Use the past subjunctive after si (if) to express situations that are
contrary to fact of unlikely to happen. Note that the conditional tense
follows in the next clause.
•
•
•
•
•
Si tuviera dinero, te invitaría a un café.
Enlatería los tomates si tú me ayudaras.
Si yo fuera tú, no haría eso.
Si tuviéramos tiempo, iríamos.
Si tuviera tiempo, aprendería más sobre las
misiones.
Note that the conditional clause does not have a fixed position in the sentence; it
may appear at the beginning or end of the sentence.
El Pluscamperfecto de Subjuntivo
Pluperfect Subjunctive
It has the same communicative function as the pluperfect
indicative. While the pluperfect indicative describes
actions that are real, definite, or factual, the pluperfect
subjunctive is used in subordinate clauses that express
attitudes, wishes, feelings, emotions, or doubts.
present
past
future
hablar
bailar
ver
dudar
lamentar
buscar
(moment of
speaking)
The pluperfect subjunctive is formed with the imperfect
subjunctive of the auxiliary verb haber + the past participle.
Imperfect subjunctive
Past Participle
yo
hubiera
tomado, comido, vivido
tú
hubieras
tomado, comido, vivido
Ud. él ella
hubiera
tomado, comido, vivido
nosotros/as
hubiéramos
tomado, comido, vivido
vosotros/as
hubierais
tomado, comido, vivido
Uds., ellos, ellas
hubieran
tomado, comido, vivido
Compare the pluperfect indicative with the pluperfect
subjunctive in the examples that follow.
• Dijo que el guardia había gritado al criminal.
• Deseaba que el guardia no hubiera gritado al
criminal.
The first sentence uses the indicative because the action in the subordinate clause is
presented as fact. In the second sentence, the subjunctive is used because the
subordinate clause espresses a hypothetical action – what he wished had not
happened, not what necessarily did happen.
When the si-clause containing contrary-to-fact information describes a
past action, the pluperfect subjunctive is used in the si-clause, while the
conditional perfect is used in the main clause.
• Si hubiera sabido que te gustaba, te habría
hecho el cordero a la parilla.
– If I had known that you liked it, I would have made
you the lamb on the grill.
• Si no hubiéramos comprado tantos alimentos,
no habríamos comido tanto.
– If we hadn’t bought so much food, we wouldn’t
have eaten so much.