12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
ANTE TODO
 You will now learn how to use the subjunctive with verbs
and expressions of will and influence.
Quiero que tengas dientes más blancos.
 Verbs of will and influence are often used when someone
wants to affect the actions or behavior of other people.
What the person wants to influence may or may not
actually happen.
Enrique quiere que salgamos a cenar.
Enrique wants us to go out to dinner.
Enrique wants that we go out to dinner.
(English)
(Spanish)
Es necesario que cenemos en casa.
It is necessary for us to have dinner at home. (English)
It is necessary that we have dinner at home. (Spanish)
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
 Some impersonal expressions, such as es
necesario (que), es importante (que), es
mejor (que), and es urgente (que), are
considered expressions of will or influence.
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
Verbs of will and influence
* (often used with indirect object pronouns)
*aconsejar to advise
desear to wish; to desire
*importar to be important; to matter
preferir (e:ie) to prefer
*prohibir to prohibit
querer (e:ie) to want
insistir (en) to insist (on)
*recomendar
to recommend
(e:ie)
*mandar to order
*rogar (o:ue) to beg; to plead
necesitar to need
*pedir (e:i) to ask (for)
*sugerir (e:ie) to suggest
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
 The infinitive is used with words or expressions of will
and influence, if there is no change of subject in the
sentence.
No quiero sacudir los muebles.
I don’t want to dust the furniture.
Paco prefiere descansar.
Paco prefers to rest.
Es importante sacar la basura.
It’s important to take out the trash.
No es necesario quitar la mesa.
It’s not necessary to clear the table.
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
¡ATENCIÓN!
 In English, constructions using the infinitive, such as
I want you to go, are often used with verbs or
expressions of will or influence. This is not the case
in Spanish, where the subjunctive would be used in
a subordinate clause.
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
 When the main clause contains an expression of will or
influence, the subjunctive is required in the subordinate
clause, provided that the two clauses have different
subjects.
MAIN CLAUSE
Mi mamá prefiere
CONNECTOR
que
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
yo saque la basura.
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
 que + subjunctive is required if:
- the verb in the first clause is a verb of will or
influence
AND
- the subject in the second clause is different from
the subject in the first clause.
S1 + (verb of will indicative) + que + S2 + (verb subjunctive)
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
 I want to study.
 I want
 to study
 Yo quiero estudiar.





I want him to study.
I want
that
change him to “he”
use subjunctive for
study to agree with
“he”
 Quiero que él estudie.
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
 It is important to
study.
 Es importante
 estudiar
 Es importante estudiar.
 It is important for him
to study.
 Es importante
 Change “for” to “that.”
(que)
 Change “him” to “he.”
 Change the infinitive
to the subjunctive to
agree with él.
 Es importante que él
estudie.
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
 Indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les) are often
used with the verbs aconsejar, importar, mandar, pedir,
prohibir, recomendar, rogar, and sugerir. Although
these object pronouns appear in the first clause, they
indicate the subject of the second clause.
Te aconsejo que estudies.
I advise you to study.
Le sugiero que vaya a casa.
I suggest that he go home.
Les recomiendo que barran el suelo.
I recommend that you sweep the floor.
Le ruego que no venga.
I beg him not to come.
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
Use of object pronouns in
English triggers the use of
the infinitive or the gerund
in English.
 me = to/for me
 te = to/for you
 le = to/for you, him, her
 nos = to/for us
 os = to/for you all
 les = to/for you all, them
 It is important for him to
study.
 She prohibits me from
leaving.
Use of indirect object pronouns in
the first clause, in Spanish triggers
the use of the subjunctive in
Spanish after “que”







me = that I
te = that you
le = that you, he, she
nos = that we
os = that you all
les = that you all, that they
Es importante que él
estudie.
 Me prohíbe que yo salga.
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
 Note that all the forms of prohibir in the present tense
carry a written accent, except for the nosotros form:
prohíbo
prohíbes
prohíbe
prohibimos
prohibís
prohíben
Ella les prohíbe que miren la televisión.
She prohibits them from watching television. (English)
She prohibits that they watch television.
(Spanish)
Nos prohíben que nademos en la piscina.
They prohibit that we swim in the swimming pool. (Spanish)
They prohibit us from swimming in the swimming pool. (English)
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
¡INTÉNTALO! Completa cada oración con la forma correcta del
verbo entre paréntesis.
1. Te sugiero que ______ (ir) con ella al supermercado.
vayas
2. Él necesita que yo le ______ (prestar) dinero.
preste
3. No queremos que tú ______ (hacer) nada especial para nosotros.
hagas
4. Mis papás quieren que yo ______ (limpiar) mi cuarto.
limpie
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
5. Nos piden que la _____ (ayudar) a preparar la comida.
ayudemos
6. Quieren que tú ______ (sacar) la basura todos los días.
saques
7. Quiero ______ (descansar) esta noche.
descansar
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
8. Es importante que ustedes ______ (limpiar) los estantes.
limpien
9. Su tía les manda que ______ (poner) la mesa.
pongan
10. Te aconsejo que no ______ (salir) con él.
salgas
11. Mi tío insiste en que mi prima ______ (hacer) la cama.
haga
12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence
12. Prefiero ______ (ir) al cine.
ir
13. Es necesario ______ (estudiar).
estudiar
14. Recomiendo que ustedes ____ (pasar) la aspiradora.
pasen