Apuntes 5-6 de enero

El presente de subjuntivoThe present subjunctive

Es importante que los chicos hagan todos sus quehaceres.It’s important that the kids do all of their chores.

Es bueno que pases la aspiradora.It’s good that you vacuum.

Up to now, you have only used verbs in the indicative mood. The indicative mood is used to state facts and actions that the speaker believes to be real. We are now going to learn the subjunctive mood (el subjuntivo) . The subjunctive mood is used to express actions that are hypothetical.

Es verdad que Mario no hace su tarea. It’s true that Mario doesn’t do his homework.

↑ indicative

Es importante que Mario haga su tarea. It’s important that Mario do his homework.

↑ subjunctive

La formación del presente de subjuntivo

The subjunctive is formed the same way that formal commands are formed. Use the stem of the present-tense yo form and add the opposite endings. Verbs that end in –ar use –er/-ir endings, verbs that end in –er/-ir use –ar endings.

pasar hacer conduciryo pase haga conduzcatú pases hagas conduzcasUd., él/ella pase haga conduzcanosotros/as pasemos hagamos conduzcamosvosotros/as paséis hagáis conduzcáisUds., ellos/as pasen hagan conduzcan

The subjunctive occurs most often in sentences that contain a main clause and a subordinate clause. The main clause contains a verb or expression that triggers the use of the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. The subordinate clause is introduced by que.

Es necesario que vayamos a México. ↑ ↑

main clause subordinate clause

The following expressions are always followed by verbs in the subjunctive:

Es bueno que… It’s good that…Es importante que… It’s important that…Es mejor que… It’s better that…Es necesario que… It’s necessary that…Es malo que… It’s bad that…Es urgente que… It’s urgent that…