Mi amigo el subjuntivo
FLAVA & WL Peer Group Conference
September 2014
Dr. Miguel A. Lechuga
Have you ever thought of Subjunctive as a friend?
In most texts Subjunctive in Spanish is presented as a
hard part of the Grammar.
Perhaps because of the unknown aspect of it or
maybe because students don’t know the existence of
it in English.
Ideally we should present a new way of it to our
students, no as a one more set of conjugations.
Learning subjunctive could be challenging and fun.
Basic.
The subjunctive is not a tense; rather, it is a mood.
Tense refers to when an action takes place (past,
present, future), while mood merely reflects how
the speaker feels about the action.
The subjunctive mood is
rarely used in English, but it is
used.
Examples:
I suggest that you study
Examples:
I suggest that you study
The doctor recommends that he take the pills with food
Examples:
I suggest that you study
The doctor recommends that he take the pills with food
We recommend that she come home today
Examples:
I suggest that you study
The doctor recommends that he take the pills with food
We recommend that she come home today
Robert recommended that Mary join the committee
Examples:
I suggest that you study
The doctor recommends that he take the pills with food
We recommend that she come home today
Robert recommended that Mary join the committee
The mother suggests that her child eat vegetables
Examples:
I suggest that you study
The doctor recommends that he take the pills with food
We recommend that she come home today
Robert recommended that Mary join the committee
The mother suggests that her child eat vegetables
The law requires that you be 18 years old to vote
Examples:
I suggest that you study
The doctor recommends that he take the pills with food
We recommend that she come home today
Robert recommended that Mary join the committee
The mother suggests that her child eat vegetables
The law requires that you be 18 years old to vote
If I were a rich man, I wouldn't have to work hard
Is it essential that we be there?
Examples:
I suggest that you study
The doctor recommends that he take the pills with food
We recommend that she come home today
Robert recommended that Mary join the committee
The mother suggests that her child eat vegetables
The law requires that you be 18 years old to vote
If I were a rich man, I wouldn't have to work hard
Is it essential that we be there?
Yes, it is important that you be there on time
As teachers, we need to pretend two things:
a. The action that the acting (main) subject wants is
not already done at the present.
b. We will follow the “math” formula:
S1 V1 que S2 VS
S1 V1 que S2 VS
S1 is the main subject or subjects.
V1 is the main verb and is conjugated in the normal
conjugation.
que is the most important part of the sentence since is the
hint, the nexus of the two sentences.
S1 ≠ S2; S2 is other subject(s)
VS is the verb, conjugated in the subjunctive tense.
Important, and logic:
We cannot teach subjunctive if students don’t know
the indicative present tense.
The indicative present tense of the three regular endings:
Yo
Tú
El /ella /Ud.
Nosotros
Vosotros
Ellos/as/Uds.
-AR
habl – o
habl – as
habl – a
habl – amos
habl – áis
habl - an
-ER
com – o
com – es
com – e
com – emos
com – éis
com – en
-IR
escrib – o
escrib – es
escrib – e
escrib – emos
escrib – éis
escrib – en
“Copy Cat Endings”
-ar endings are the same as –er and -ir endings in the
present indicative except in the yo form.
-er and -ir endings are the same as -ar endings in the
present indicative except in the yo form.
Using the same verbs, we have,
The subjunctive present tense of the three regular endings:
Yo
Tú
El /ella /Ud.
Nosotros
Vosotros
Ellos/as/Uds.
-AR
habl – e
habl – es
habl – e
habl – emos
habl – éis
habl - en
-ER
com – a
com – as
com – a
com – amos
com – áis
com – an
-IR
escrib – a
escrib – as
escrib – a
escrib – amos
escrib – áis
escrib – an
W-E-I-R-D-O
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W------------------------------ Will - Wish
Juan (no) quiere que Ana hable con Ricardo.
Do you remember the math formula? S1 V1 que S2 VS
Juan is S1, quiere is V1, que is que, Ana is S2 and hable is VS
V1 : Querer, desear, preferir, insistir, necesitar, etc…..
Juan (no) desea que Ana trabaje en ese restaurante.
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E----------------------------- Emotions.
(No) Me gusta que Peter hable en español
Me gusta que Peter is S2 hable is VS en español
V1 : Alegrarse, entristecerse, gustar, sentir, etc….. …..
Nos alegra que Peter hable en español.
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I ----------------------------- Impersonal Expressions
(No) Es necesario que Marie estudie la lección.
IE : Es posible….Es imposible….Es interesante… Es lógico…
Es posible que yo aprenda subjuntivo
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R --------------------------- Request
El profesor manda que salgamos de la clase
V1: Pedir, decir, ordenar, prohibir, exigir, permitir, recomendar,
These verbs requiere indirect object proun.
El profesor nos manda que salgamos de la clase
Te digo que estudies la lección.
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D ----------------------------- Doubts and Denials
Theresa duda que la clase termine pronto.
V1 : Dudar, negar, no creer, etc.
Theresa duda que la clase termine pronto.
Theresa no duda que la clase termina pronto.
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O ----------------------------- Ojala / Ojalá (que)
Ojala las preguntas sean fáciles
Ojala que mi padre me compre un auto nuevo
V1: (There is no verb)
Spanish transIation: if God grants
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W
Mi amigo quiere que ………………. (yo) estudiar, mirar, hablar
Mi madre desea que ………….(yo /sujeto) limpiar, estudiar, preparar
Pero yo no quiero que …………….. mi madre / mi profesor
……
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Decir,
Hacer,
Poner,
Salir,
Traer
Venir
digo ---- diga, digas, diga, digamos, digáis, digan.
hago----hag…
pongo --- 
salgo-----
traigo-----
vengo----
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Hay (there is /are)
always
is
haya
Ir
voy ----- vaya, vayas, vaya, vayamos, vayáis, vayan
Saber
se ------ sepa, sepas, sepa,
Ser
soy ----- sea, seas, sea,
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W
Los estudiantes quieren que no……………. (hay) clase hoy.
Es tarde, necesito que tú……….. (ir) a la tienda a por leche.
Mi madre desea que yo siempre ………… (decir) la verdad.
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E
Siento mucho que tú ……….(estar) enfermo.
Mi madre se alegra de que yo ……..(tener) una A en español.
Me molesta que nosotros …………….(hacer) un test el lunes.
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Me alegra que Miguel nos ………..(hay) enseñado el subjuntivo
hoy. Me molesta que nosotros ……..(tener) que esperar hasta el
año que viene para que nosotros ………….(practicar) el
subjuntivo en pasado o en frases en que ……..(hay) dudas o que
no ………………(saber) si va a ocurrir. Por lo tanto, es necesario
que yo ……..… (venir) el año que viene.
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