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How to form the Present Subjunctive

The Subjunctive 3-part formula in detail

Other constructions where we need to use the Subjunctive

When NOT to use the Subjunctive

Although I expect that you are doing all of the Grammar Notes and textbook readings as well as the online activities and homework, I cannot stress enough the importance of doing so now. The Subjunctive is a form that does not have a simple counterpart in English. The only way to become comfortable with the Subjunctive is to practice.

Colby: Present Subjunctive Practice

Spanish 101A

Spanish 101B

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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. (*the WEIRDO formula was devised by the awesome Dr. Karen Berg, and is featured in her materials which I cited in 1991, and again in 1995 in courses I published with UNC-Chapel Hill.)

(Click on a column heading on the left below for more detail)

W

Wishes, desires,
Imperatives

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..,

S

Speculation

Adverbial conjunctions to express Conditions & Times in which things may occur: tan pronto como.., cuando.., en caso de que.., en cuanto.., a menos que.., para que..., sin que.., con tal de que.., antes/después de que.., aunque..,

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)