How does one use the present subjunctive case in Spanish?

The subjunctive case appears in GCSE, A-Level and Higher Study specifications. It is an essential component of the Spanish language yet students tend to experience difficulty grappling with it because of how differently the case is used in English. Nowadays in the English language, the subjunctive case is only really used when talking about events that have not actually happened. 'If I were Queen, there would be no more famines' and "It is essential that the goods be delivered in time" are examples of the subjunctive. In Spanish, however, the subjunctive case is used much more commonly and not only is it used to express events that haven't occurred, but also to express desires, doubt, uncertainties, commands, the abstract, and emotion.I will be focusing on the present tense of the subjunctive case ('I demand she have a chance' type-sentences). In Spanish 'I demand she have a chance' translates to 'Exijo que ella tenga la oportunidad'. The verb in the subjunctive case in this example is 'to have'. In the ordinary present tense in Spanish, 'have' would be translated in the 3rd person (she) as 'tiene', just as in the English it would be she 'has'. The way you conjugate the present subjunctive is you (i) find the present subjunctive stem of the verb, and (ii) you add the present subjunctive case ending to match the subject. (i) Finding the stem: You identify the infinitive verb, which in this case is 'exigir'. Then, no matter the subject of the verb, you consider the first person 'yo' form in the present tense of the verb: 'exijo'. Finally, you minus the 'o' ending. (ii) Finding the ending:After you are left with the 'exij-': you add the ending which suits your subject. In this case it would be the 3rd person so you would add 'a'. Thus, you would successfully end up with 'exija'. The table for the subjunctive endings for infinitive verbs ending in '-er' and '-ir' is as follows: 1st person Yo: a2nd person Tú: as 3rd person: Usted, Él, Ella: a1st person plural: Nosotros: amos2nd person plural: Vosotros: áis 3rd person plural: Ustedes, Ellos, Ellas: an It is worth noting that for verbs ending in '-ar', the endings work as follows:Yo: eTú: es Él: eNosotros: emos Vosotros: éisUstedes, Ellos, Ellas: en It is also always wise to check for irregular verbs. In Spanish, some of the commonly-used verbs tend to be irregular, such as 'dar', 'estar', and 'ser'.

Answered by Lorena W. Spanish tutor

1101 Views

See similar Spanish A Level tutors

Related Spanish A Level answers

All answers ▸

How do you form the present subjunctive in Spanish and what is it used for?


Las técnicas estilisticas. ¿Cómo nos ayudan a entender más profundamente el tema principal del texto o de la película que has estudiado?


When do you use the present subjunctive in spanish?


Analiza el papel desempeñado por uno de los personajes en 'Bodas de Sangre'. ¿Cómo contribuye al desarrollo de la obra?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2024

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy