Unit 4

The Subjunctive & the Imperative

This is the unit that moves a score from a 3 to a 5. Every free-response rubric rewards “a variety of grammatical structures”, and in practice that phrase means one thing above all: can you use the subjunctive correctly and naturally? The argumentative essay is built from sentences like “Es necesario que el gobierno invierta…”; the conversation is full of “Ojalá que puedas venir”; the email ends with “Le agradecería que me enviara…”. This page gives you every subjunctive tense, every trigger, the sequence of tenses, all three kinds of si clause, and the imperative in all five persons — with drills that run on the same conjugation engine as the verb tables.

1 · What the subjunctive is

Spanish has three moods. The indicative asserts: it reports something as real (Mi hermano estudia). The imperative commands (¡Estudia!). The subjunctive is the mood of the non-asserted: things that are wished for, reacted to emotionally, doubted, required, or not (yet) real. It is not a tense; it has tenses of its own.

Two consequences worth internalising now:

• Same subject → infinitive, no que. Quiero estudiar (I want to study) but Quiero que estudies (I want you to study). Quiero que yo estudie is wrong.
• The subjunctive is semantic, not decorative. Busco un libro que tiene fotos (a specific one I know exists) and Busco un libro que tenga fotos (any book, if one exists) mean different things. Graders notice when you get the difference right.

2 · Presente de subjuntivo

Regular models

Stem-changing verbs

-ar and -er stem-changers follow the familiar “boot”: the change appears everywhere except nosotros and vosotros. -ir stem-changers are different: nosotros and vosotros take a second, smaller change (e → i, o → u) — the same one you see in their preterite third person (sintió, durmió, pidió).

Spelling changes (-car, -gar, -zar)

The subjunctive endings of -ar verbs begin with e, so the consonant has to be respelled to keep its sound — exactly as in the preterite yo form (busqué, llegué, empecé): c → qu, g → gu, z → c.

Irregular yo → irregular subjunctive

The six true irregulars

Only six verbs do not come from the yo form. The mnemonic is DISHES: dar, ir, ser, haber, estar, saber. Note the written accents on dé (to separate it from the preposition de) and on every form of estar except nosotros.

Interactive lab Present subjunctive Open it in Interactive Laboratories →

3 · Imperfecto de subjuntivo

Derived from the preterite: the irregular list

Interactive lab Imperfect subjunctive, both forms Open it in Interactive Laboratories →

4 · Pretérito perfecto & pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo

The compound subjunctive tenses work exactly like the compound indicative ones from Unit 3: a form of haber plus the invariable past participle. Only haber changes mood.

Interactive lab Compound subjunctive Open it in Interactive Laboratories →

5 · Futuro de subjuntivo (recognise, don't produce)

• Adonde fueres, haz lo que vieres. Wherever you go, do what you see (≈ When in Rome, do as the Romans do).
• Sea lo que fuere, tenemos que decidir hoy. Whatever it may be, we have to decide today. (Also sea como fuere, “be that as it may”.)
• Venga lo que viniere. Come what may.
• El que infringiere esta norma será sancionado. Whoever breaks this rule will be penalised. (Legal register.)
• Si para esa fecha el contrato no se hubiere firmado, quedará anulado. If by that date the contract has not been signed, it will be void. (Futuro perfecto.)

6 · Noun clauses: the WEIRDO triggers

A noun clause is a que-clause acting as the object of a verb (Quiero [que vengas]) or the subject of an expression (Es importante [que vengas]). Whether it takes the subjunctive depends entirely on the main-clause trigger. WEIRDO sorts them:

• Mis padres esperan que yo estudie medicina. My parents hope I study medicine.
• Me preocupa que los jóvenes no lean la prensa. It worries me that young people don't read the news.
• Es imprescindible que las ciudades inviertan en transporte público. It is essential that cities invest in public transport.
• La directora nos pide que lleguemos a tiempo. The principal asks us to arrive on time.
• Dudo que esa ley resuelva el problema. I doubt that law will solve the problem.

Certainty takes the indicative — and negation flips it

Same subject → infinitive; general statement → infinitive

• Quiero viajar. / Quiero que viajes. I want to travel. / I want you to travel.
• Siento no poder ir. / Siento que no puedas ir. I'm sorry I can't go. / I'm sorry you can't go.
• Es importante votar. / Es importante que los jóvenes voten. It's important to vote. / It's important that young people vote.
• Te recomiendo descansar. = Te recomiendo que descanses. With R-verbs and an indirect-object pronoun, both are fine.

7 · Adjective clauses: unknown or nonexistent antecedents

An adjective clause describes a noun (un libro [que tiene fotos]). Use the subjunctive when that noun — the antecedent — is not known to exist: hypothetical, sought after, or denied.

• Necesitamos políticas que protejan a los trabajadores. We need policies that protect workers. (Essay gold.)
• ¿Conoces algún restaurante que sirva comida peruana? Do you know any restaurant that serves Peruvian food?
• En aquella época no había ninguna escuela que enseñara en guaraní. At that time there was no school that taught in Guaraní. (Past → imperfect subjunctive.)

8 · Adverbial clauses

Always subjunctive: the ESCAPA conjunctions

These conjunctions introduce something that has not happened (a purpose, a condition, a precaution), so they always take the subjunctive:

With no change of subject, most of these become a preposition + infinitive: Estudio para aprobar / Estudio para que aprueben; antes de salir, sin decir nada, en caso de necesitarlo.

Time conjunctions: pending vs habitual vs past

Cuando, hasta que, tan pronto como, en cuanto, después de que, mientras, una vez que take the subjunctive only when the action is still pending — in the future relative to the main clause. For habits and completed past events, use the indicative.

Aunque: fact vs possibility

• Aunque llueve, vamos a jugar. Although it is raining (it is), we're going to play.
• Aunque llueva, vamos a jugar. Even if it rains (it might), we're going to play.
• Aunque tuviera dinero, no lo compraría. Even if I had money (I don't), I wouldn't buy it.
• Aunque la tecnología tenga ventajas, también presenta riesgos. Even granting that technology has advantages… — the concessive subjunctive, perfect for acknowledging the other side in an essay.

Other two-way words: como (Hazlo como quieras — however you like), donde (Vive donde prefieras), de manera / de modo que (so that → subj.; with the result that → ind.).

9 · Sequence of tenses

The main-clause verb decides which subjunctive tense you need. Think of two families.

• El médico me recomienda que duerma más. → El médico me recomendó que durmiera más.
• Es necesario que hagamos algo. → Era necesario que hiciéramos algo. → Sería necesario que hiciéramos algo.
• Dudo que lo hayan terminado. → Dudaba que lo hubieran terminado.

10 · Si clauses, como si, ojalá

Como si — always imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive

• Habla como si fuera experto. He talks as if he were an expert.
• Me miró como si no me hubiera visto nunca. She looked at me as if she had never seen me.

Ojalá — the tense carries the meaning

11 · The imperative

Only the affirmative tú and affirmative vosotros commands have forms of their own. Every other command — all negatives, and all usted, ustedes, nosotros commands — is simply the present subjunctive. If you know Section 2 of this page, you already know most of the imperative.

The eight irregular tú commands

“Di, haz, ve, pon, sal, sé, ten, ven” — chant it. Only the affirmative tú form is irregular; the negative is the regular subjunctive.

Pronoun placement and written accents

Other ways to say “let's” and to soften commands

• Vamos a + infinitivo = let's: Vamos a estudiar (= Estudiemos). The negative uses the subjunctive: No estudiemos hoy.
• Vamos (not vayamos) is the affirmative “let's go”; no vayamos is “let's not go”.
• Softer requests for the email task: ¿Podría enviarme…? · Le agradecería que me enviara… · Quisiera saber si… The conditional and the imperfect subjunctive are the polite register.
• Impersonal instructions (recipes, signs): infinitive or se: No fumar. Se ruega silencio.

Interactive lab Commands, affirmative and negative Open it in Interactive Laboratories →

12 · Master tense map

Every conjugated tense in the course, in one table, with the hablar form so you can see the shape of each. Units 2 and 3 cover the indicative; this unit covers the rest. Full tables for all 91 verbs are on the verb reference page.

13 · Worked examples

1. Mood choice, with the reason

Complete: (a) Creo que el reciclaje ___ (ser) obligatorio. (b) No creo que el reciclaje ___ (ser) suficiente. (c) Es verdad que muchas familias ___ (reciclar). (d) Es posible que el gobierno ___ (cambiar) la ley.

• (a) es — affirmative creer asserts: indicative.
• (b) sea — negated creer = doubt: subjunctive.
• (c) reciclan — es verdad states a fact: indicative.
• (d) cambie — possibility is an impersonal (I) trigger: subjunctive.

Always find the trigger first, then decide: assertion or not?

2. Moving a sentence into the past (sequence of tenses)

Put into the past: Mis padres insisten en que yo vuelva a casa antes de que oscurezca.

Main verb insisten → insistían (habitual past, imperfect). That puts us in the past family, so both subordinate verbs move to the imperfect subjunctive: vuelva → volviera (from volvieron), oscurezca → oscureciera (from oscurecieron).

Mis padres insistían en que yo volviera a casa antes de que oscureciera.

Antes de que keeps the subjunctive even in the past — it is always subjunctive.

3. The three si clauses from one idea

Idea: have more money → travel to Chile.

• Real: Si ahorro este verano, viajaré a Chile. Likely — I plan to save.
• Unlikely: Si tuviera más dinero, viajaría a Chile. I don't have it now.
• Past, unreal: Si hubiera tenido más dinero, habría viajado a Chile. I didn't, so I didn't go.
• Mixed: Si hubiera ahorrado el año pasado, ahora estaría en Chile.

4. Cuando: pending, habitual or past?

(a) Cuando ___ (graduarse), quiero trabajar en una ONG. (b) Cuando ___ (tener) diez años, me mudé a Texas. (c) Cuando ___ (hacer) calor, vamos a la playa.

(a) me gradúe — still in the future: subjunctive (graduarse carries an accent like continuar: me gradúo → me gradúe). (b) tenía — past background: indicative imperfect. (c) hace — habit: indicative.

5. Adjective clause in the past

Translate: My grandparents wanted a house that had a garden, but they didn't find any that they could afford.

Mis abuelos querían una casa que tuviera jardín, pero no encontraron ninguna que pudieran pagar.

Both antecedents are unknown or nonexistent (una casa they had not found; ninguna), and the main verbs are past, so both clauses take the imperfect subjunctive.

6. Commands with two pronouns

Replace the nouns with pronouns and give the command requested: (a) tú, sí: Explica la tarea a tu hermano. (b) tú, no. (c) usted, sí: Traiga los documentos a nosotros. (d) nosotros, sí: Decir la verdad a ellos.

• (a) Explícasela. le + la → se la, attached; the accent on -plí- keeps the stress.
• (b) No se la expliques.
• (c) Tráiganoslos. traiga + nos + los, accent on trái-.
• (d) Digámosela. digamos + se + la: the -s drops before se.

7. Essay sentences: acknowledge, argue, conclude

Five subjunctive frames that fit almost any argumentative essay prompt — each one expresses a position rather than decorating it:

• Aunque la Fuente 2 muestre que el uso de las redes ha aumentado, eso no significa que sea perjudicial. Concession + denial.
• Es imprescindible que las escuelas enseñen a usar la tecnología de manera crítica.
• No es cierto que los jóvenes hayan perdido el interés por la lectura; según la Fuente 1…
• Hacen falta programas que ayuden a las familias para que nadie se quede atrás.
• Si todos adoptáramos estas medidas, podríamos reducir el problema de manera significativa.

8. Ojalá, four ways

Translate: (a) I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. (b) I hope you've eaten. (c) I wish I spoke Portuguese. (d) I wish I had studied more.

• (a) Ojalá que no llueva mañana.
• (b) Ojalá hayas comido.
• (c) Ojalá hablara portugués.
• (d) Ojalá hubiera estudiado más.

English uses “hope” for (a–b) and “wish” for (c–d); Spanish uses one word and lets the tense do the work.

9. Finding the error

Each sentence has one mistake: (a) Quiero que yo aprenda a cocinar. (b) Si tendría tiempo, te ayudaría. (c) Cuando llegarás, avísame. (d) Busco el apartamento que tenga dos baños que vi ayer. (e) Mis padres querían que yo estudie ingeniería.

• (a) Same subject: Quiero aprender a cocinar.
• (b) No conditional after si: Si tuviera tiempo…
• (c) No future after cuando: Cuando llegues, avísame.
• (d) The apartment is known (you saw it): …el apartamento que tiene dos baños…
• (e) Past main clause: …querían que yo estudiara ingeniería.

Checklist

• I form the present subjunctive from the yo form, and I know DISHES (dar, ir, ser, haber, estar, saber) are the only exceptions.
• I use the second -ir change in nosotros/vosotros: durmamos, sintamos, pidamos.
• I respell -car/-gar/-zar verbs: busque, llegue, empiece.
• I form the imperfect subjunctive from the ellos preterite, in both -ra and -se, with the nosotros accent.
• I use haya / hubiera + participle for completed actions under a trigger.
• I recognise the future subjunctive (fuere, hubiere) in legal text and proverbs, and never write it.
• I can name the WEIRDO category of a trigger, and I switch to the infinitive when there is no change of subject.
• I know creer, pensar, estar seguro take the indicative and their negatives take the subjunctive.
• I use the subjunctive after unknown or nonexistent antecedents and after the ESCAPA conjunctions.
• I use the subjunctive after cuando, hasta que, en cuanto only for pending actions.
• I match the subjunctive tense to the main-clause tense (present family / past family).
• I build all three si clauses and never put the present subjunctive or the conditional after si.
• I give commands in all five persons, attach pronouns with the right accent, and can chant di, haz, ve, pon, sal, sé, ten, ven.