The Present Subjunctive and the
Present Perfect Subjunctive
The formation of the present tense subjunctive
will be easy for you because it is exactly the
same as the formal commands! This time, you
can follow the rule for more endings than just
Usted and Ustedes.
Remember, since you are switching endings, the
–car, -gar, -zar rules apply!
Take the yo form, drop the O, add the opposite
ending.
COMER
Hablar
Escribir
Poder
Hacer
Empezar
For -ar and -er stem-changing verbs, the formula applies except that
there is no stem change in the nosotros form ( same as commands!!  )
Hablar
• For -ir stem-changing verbs, the stem change in the nosotros form
follows these patterns:
• o ue verbs change o  u; eie verbs change e  i; e:i verbs
change e  i.
• Remember dormir and durmiendo?
DORMIR
Sentir
Buscar
Llegar
Almorzar
Ir
Irregulars
Dar _____________
Estar ________________
Ir _______________
Saber _________________
Ver _________________
(irreg yo)
Decir ________________
Conocer ______________________
A lil something from
studyspanish.com…
• “All too frequently, the topic of the subjunctive is made
far more difficult than is necessary. Let's try a slightly
different approach, with the goal of making this topic
less troublesome.
• 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 widely used in
Spanish”
(http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/subj1.htm)
Here are some examples of the subjunctive being
used in English:
1. The doctor recommends that he take the pills with
food.
Subjunctive conjugation:
___________________________
2. The law requires that you be 18 years old to vote.
Subjunctive conjugation:
___________________________
3. My mom wants me to go to the store.
Subjunctive conjugation:
__________________________
• So now, on to USING the subjunctive with impersonal
expressions:
Impersonal expression (this is the “trigger”)
+ que
+ new subject
+ present subjunctive of the verb
It’s important that you study.
(are you definitely studying? No. This person speaking feels
that it’s important, but you can’t say “estudias” because
that means you definitely study. The subjunctive is going to
open up the idea that there is no guarantee here).
In Spanish: Es importante que tú estudies.
• It’s important that you study (for you to study)
Sometimes in English we don’t say things exactly
grammatically correct, so sometimes instead of
“that” we use “for (subject) to.”
Ex: It’s necessary for you guys to get good grades on
this quiz =
what you are really saying is
“it is necessary that you all get good grades on this
quiz.”
Es necesario que ustedes saquen buenas notas en
esta prueba.
You need the subjunctive with impersonal
expressions when you have two different subjects:
It’s = one subject.
Then you have the expression like “important” or
“interesting”
and then you have QUE,
then a new subject like a different person or thing,
then the subjunctive form of the new verb:
Subject /expression + QUE + new subject +
subjunctive
It’s sad that Jacinta is not in school today =
Es triste QUE Jacinta no esté en la escuela hoy.
Doubt, denial, desire, demands, impersonal expressions = all subjunctive!
Decide si la frase necesita “S” para el subjuntivo o “I” para el indicativo.
I want that____
He demands that ____
It’s good that ____
I know that ____
It’s important that ____
It’s definitely true that ____
It’s necessary that ____
It’s sad that _____
It’s terrible that ______
I need to think ____
It’s important to spend time with friends ___
It’s good for her to spend time with friends ____
It’s a shame to fail a test ____
It’s a shame that fails tests ____
I want to help ___
I want them to help me____
It may be helpful for you to rewrite sentences in
English to be sure you know that it fits this model
with the “que” plus a different subject:
It’s important for her to study Spanish in college=
rewritten in ENGLISH =
__________________________________________
____________________________
Now, the Spanish version with subjunctive:
__________________________________________
____________________________
It’s logical for him to arrive late tonight. =
Eng =
_______________________________________________
_______________________
Span =
_______________________________________________
_______________________
It’s strange that she eats lunch alone.
_______________________________________________
_______
It’s better for us to go to the store now.
_______________________________________________
_______________________
It’s a shame that they don’t know the new student.
___________________________________________
___________________________
It’s important for her to come to class on time.
___________________________________________
___________________________
It’s dangerous that your dad doesn’t use a helmet!
___________________________________________
___________________________
Some expressions that are NOT used with the
subjunctive:
• It’s true that Spanish class is awesome.
• It is obvious that there is snow outside.
• There is no doubt that the students have
played in the snow.
The present perfect subjunctive
• You’ve already learned that to form the
present perfect in the indicative, you take the
present tense of “Haber” and attach a past
participle of the verb.
Ejemplo:
He hablado con mi madre. = I have spoken with
my mother.
• The subjunctive mood also has a present
perfect tense! To form it, you use the present
subjunctive of “Haber” plus the same past
participles of the verbs.
•
Haya
Hayamos
Hayas
X
Haya
Hayan
You use the present perfect subjunctive to indicate
that the subordinate clause (the one that depends on
the other clause; often second) took place in the
past.
It’s possible that he’ll go to the store:
So: It’s possible = present.
“that” (connects the clauses) he (may/will) go to the
store.
Es posible (presente) “que” (conecta)
él vaya a la tienda. <- subjunctive!!
This entire sentence is in the present tense.
VS: present perfect
It’s possible that he went to the store.
It’s possible = present.
“that” (connects the clauses)
he went (past) to the store.
You can’t have present and past in the same sentence so
what they do is use the present perfect of the subjunctive to
make it like it happened in the past.
It’s possible = present.
“that” (connects the clauses)
he has gone (pres. perf) to the store.
Es posible (presente) “que” (conecta)
él haya ido a la tienda. (present perfect subjunctive!)
Present Subjunctive:
Es posible que Romeo visite a Julieta. =
It’s possible that Romeo is visiting/will visit
Juliet.
Present Perfect Subjunctive:
• Es posible que Romeo haya visitado a Julieta. =
It’s possible that Romeo has visited / visited
Juliet.
Present Subjunctive:
Es bueno que hagas eso. =
It’s good that you are doing/will do that.
Present Perfect Subjunctive:
Es bueno que hayas hecho eso. =
It’s good that you have done/did that.
Present subjunctive:
It’s good for her to buy food at the market
_______________________________________
_________________________________
Present perfect subjunctive:
1a. It’s good that she bought food at the market:
_______________________________________
___________________________
2.It’s a shame that she has to study tonight.
________________________________________
____________________________________
2a. It’s a shame that she had to study tonight.
________________________________________
______________________________
3.It’s important to start the test at 4:30 pm.
_______________________________________
_______________________________
a.It’s important for them to start the test.
_______________________________________
_______________________________
b.It’s important that she started the test.
_______________________________________
_______________________________
Try these! You may have to add a “that” in
ENGLISH to better understand! Watch TENSES.
1. Es una lástima que ellos no
______________________
(arrived/have arrived)
2. Es probable que Martina
_____________________
(prepared/has prepared) un pastel.
3.It’s doubtful that he studied/has studied for the exam.
________________________________________________
________________
4.I’m very sorry that you ate the apple. (have eaten)
________________________________________________
_________________________
5. Josefina denies that she cheated (hacer trampas).
________________________________________________
__________________
12. It’s good that you studied a lot!
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
13. It’s good for you to study a lot.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
6.It’s a shame that he arrived late.
______________________________________________
__________________________
7.It’s good that you studied (have studied) for this test!
______________________________________________
__________________________
8.It’s logical for her to spend time with her friends.
______________________________________________
__________________________________
9. It’s necessary to work a lot to earn/win money.
__________________________________________
______________________________________
10.It’s dangerous to travel alone!
__________________________________________
______________________________________
11.It’s dangerous for us to travel alone.
__________________________________________
______________________________________