While conjugating verbs into the Subjunctive form is not too difficult, it is deciding when and where to use the Subjunctive that gets a little complicated. We will look at it slowly and determine the rules for its use in stages.
The Subjunctive always is needed when we express a WEIRDO using the 3-part formula below.
(Click on a column heading on the left below for more detail)
W |
Wishes, desires, |
Quiero que él.., Deseo que ella..., Necesito que usted..., Espero que tú...; Mando que..., insisto que... I Want or Need someone else to do something, I Order or Insist that someone to do something |
E |
Emotion |
Me alegro de que..., me entristezco de que..., Me enoja que..., Temo que... I get (become) Happy... , Sad..., It makes me angry ..., I'm Scared... that something or someone does something |
I |
Impersonal observations |
Es bueno que..., Es Importante que..., Es Posible que... It's good that.., It's important that.., It's possible that.... |
R |
Recommendations |
Recomiendo que..., Sugiero que... I Recommend or Suggest that someone else do something |
D |
Doubt, Denial, Disbelief |
Dudo que.., No creo que.., ¿Crees que..?, niego que... I Doubt that, I Don't believe that..., Do you believe that...? I Deny that.... |
O |
Ojalá |
Ojalá que... Let's hope to God that.., God willing that.., |
There is a 3 part formula for using the Subjunctive. Each one of these three components MUST be in place.
1 |
2 |
3 |
Subject #1 (indicative verb) (Select one of the WEIRDO categories) |
Que This is the conjunction necessary to introduce the subjunctive clause |
Subject #2 + verb in the subjunctive (the person or thing in our WEIRDO world) |