pls explain subjunctive tense and how the spanish uses them...preferably a bilingual person?

Question

its a SPANISH homework, but my 1st language is ENGLISH so pls explain carefully.........

Answer 1

it's a little confusing since we don't use the subjunctive tense that much in English. But basically whenever you want to say something that's only a "possibility" or a "maybe" rather than a fact, that's when you use the subjunctive tense.

Ok, so for example, in English, we can just say "I hope that Bob eats his dinner tonight", and we can use the same verb "eats" to say "Bob eats his dinner tonight".

But in Spanish, these are 2 different concepts.

You have to say "Espero que Bob coma su cena esta noche" (I hope that he EAT his dinner tonight"

and "Bob come su cena esta noche" (He EATS his dinner tonight)

The verb "eat" changes because in the first sentence, you aren't sure if he's going to eat his dinner. In the 2nd sentence, it's a direct fact that Bob is eating his dinner.

(Comer = to eat. Come = the normal form of the verb "he eats" and Coma = the subjunctive form of the verb).

Other examples:

Yo Deseo que... (I desire that...).. you would use subjunctive here b/c you're expressing a desire that won't necessarily happen.

hope this helps.

Answer 2

No, I actual have yet to fulfill the destiny subjunctive outdoors literary texts of the 18th century and before and doubt that extra desirable than a very few o.k. knowledgeable Spanish audio gadget would desire to even inform you its varieties (that is no longer even on your checklist!). it incredibly is taken into consideration one of its alterations from Poruguese, the place the destiny subjunctive remains in regularly occurring usual use. The historic pluperfect has replaced the previous subjunctive in maximum of Spain and each and all the Americas. i do no longer remember assembly the plural of the crucial outdoors Spain. yet suggesting that English is by some ability "much less confusing" than Spanish? are you able to be severe? how many foreigners have you ever met able to understanding, e.g., while to apply the present basic as against the present continous in English, use the right annoying after "provided that" or adjust to the series of tenses: concerns that the interior sight speaker has mastered formerly he or she turns 5?

Answer 3

The subjunctive is used for different reasons. There are a couple things to help:
Remember UWEIRDO

Uncertainty
Wants to
Emotion
Impersonal Expression
Request
Doubt
Ojalá/orders

There are 3 requirements for making a subjunctive sentence.

There must be a change of subject, a que and one of the things from UWEIRDO.

For example:

If I want you to make your bed I will say:

Yo quiero que tú hagas la cama.

(change of subject yo... tú, que, wants to from uweirdo.)
The W and R and O really indicate an indirect command; telling someone to do something by suggesting it, recommending, hoping, etc.

The same is true with doubt; I doubt that he is here: Dudo que él esté aquí.

Emotions... to be happy, sad, worried, etc. Estoy contenta que estes presente.

Impersonal expressions... es posible, es probable, es dudoso.. there is no subject other than "it."

Be careful though because some impersonal expressions indicate certainty. If you are certain then do NOT use subjunctive.

Hope this helps

Answer 4

This is a big question. You could definitely write a book about this, or at least a thick chapter. My guess is that your school Spanish textbook has some information on it, but my favorite book for this kind of question is "A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish" by Butt and Benjamin.

Answer 5

Yes, the subjunctive is a mood, not a tense, and you did already get good answers. If you want to read a textbook-like explanation, there's a good one here:

http://spanish.about.com/od/verbmoods/a/intro_subjunct.htm

Answer 6

Subjunctive is a MOOD, not a tense. A verb can be in subjunctive mood and still have tense.
The other two answers are quite accurate.

Answer 7

*not much to add*
wow you got good answers here!