El presente del subjuntivo

El uso – The subjunctive mood is used to express wish, want, hope, preference, emotion, doubt, denial, suggestion, advice, need, demand, etc. 

 La formación del presente del subjuntivo

1.       Go to the first person singular form. (yo)

2.     Take off the –o.

3.     Add the following endings.

-ar                                                     -er/-ir

                   e                  emos                                a                amos

                   es                éis                                  as                ais

                   e                  en                                   a                  an

 Verbs that are irregular in the first person singular (yo) will be irregular in the present subjunctive. 

1.       verbos “yogo”                                          6.  verbos –car, -gar, -zar

    pongo - ponga                                                busque, pegue, cace

2.     verbos –cer, -cir (excepto decir, hacer)     7.  verbos “bota” –ar, -er

   conocer -conozca                                           pensar - piense, pensemos

                                                                       volver - vuelva, volvemos

3.     verbos –uir                                              8. verbos “bota” -ir

   concluir - concluya                                          morir - muera, muramos

                                                                        mentir - miente, mintamos

4.     verbos –guir                                              9. irregulares– saber (sepa),

  perseguir - persiga                                          ir (vaya), haber (haya)

5.     verbos –ger, gir                                         dar (dé), ser(sé). estar (esté)

           recoger - recoja      

 

Subjunctive indicators for fórmula 1

To prefer (ie)                                     to be worried

To make                                              to hope

To order                                             to doubt

To insist -insistir                                one hopes - ojalá

To be happy - alegrarde de                  to hate - odiar

To lament - lamentar                            to detest - detestar

To want (ie)- querer                            to implore - omplorar

To require (ie) -requerir                      to be surprised - sorprenderse de

To wish - desear                                  to not believe - no creer

To fear - temer                                   to not think - no pensar

To be scared - tener miedo                   to feel   - sentir                                    etc.

 

Fórmula 1 - There must be two separate clauses with two separate subjects and a subjunctive indicator as the first verb for the subjunctive to be used in the dependent clause.  The subjunctive can mean the infinitive, the present tense or the future tense.

 

(Sujeto 1) + Verbo 1 (subjunctive indicator) + QUE + (Sujeto 2) + Verbo 2 (subjuntivo)

 1. Ms. Catch wants her students to get a good grade.

   La Srta. Catch quiere que sus estudiantes saquen una buena nota.

 2. I hope that you will come to my party.

   Espero que vengas a mi fiesta.

 3. I’m sorry you are ill.

   Siento que estés tan enfermo.

 

*Note – When subject 1 and subject 2 are the same use the infinitive as your second verb.

 The students hope they graduate.  - Los estudiantes quieren graduarse.

 

Subjunctive indicators for fórmula 2

 

To tell (i) - decir                                         to impede (i) -impedir

To demand - exegir                                      to recommend (ie) - recomendar           

To suggest -sugerir                                      to beg (ue) - rogar

To prohibit - prohibir                                  to advise - aconsejar

To permit - permitir                                     to ask (i) - pedir

 To allow - dejar                                           etc.

 

Fórmula 2

(Sujeto 1) + idop + verbo 1 (subj. indicator) + (Sujeto 2) + que + verbo 2(subjuntivo)

 1. The teacher recommends that her students be quiet.

   La maestra les recomienda a sus estudiantes que estén callados.

 2. I beg you to come visit us. - Te ruego que vengas a visitarnos.

 3. The principal prohibits the boys from smoking in the bathroom.

  El director les prohibe a los estudiantes que fumen en los servicios.

 

Impersonal expressions for fórmula 3

 It’s necessary                                     it’s a shame

It’s doubtful                                       it’s possible

It’s impossible                                    it’s probable

It’s improbable                                   it’s bad

It’s horrible                                       it’s important

It’s recommended                                it’s better

it’s marvelous                                      it’s interesting

it’s worse                                            it’s incredible

it’s phenomenal                                    it’s terrible

it seems like a lie                                it doesn’t seem

it’s enough                                           it’s better  - más vale

it’s not evident                                    it’s not certain

it’s not true                                        it’s not clear

it’s not obvious                                    it’s not sure

 

**The following expressions do not use the subjunctive because they indicate certainty:

 Es evidente                      es verdad                        es obvio              Resulta

 Es cierto                         esta claro                        es seguro              

Fórmula 3

Expresión impersonal + que + sujeto 2 + verbo(subjuntivo)

1.  It's incredible that it is already March. - Es increíble que ya sea marzo.

 2. It's probable that we will graduate this year. - Es probable que nos graduemos

     este año.

BUT

1.  It's true that we will have a lot of homework tonight.  Es verdad que tendremos

    mucha tarea esta noche.

2.  It's clear the students study little. - Está claro que los estudiantes estudian poco.

 

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