Instruction: Spanish Present Perfect Subjunctive – Regular

2. Forming the Past Participle

As a reminder, to form the past participle of regular verbs:

• For -ar verbs: Add –ado to the stem.

• Hablar → hablado (spoken)

• For -er and -ir verbs: Add -ido to the stem.

• Comer → comido (eaten)
• Vivir → vivido (lived)

3. Using the Present Subjunctive Perfect Tense

The present subjunctive perfect tense is often used in sentences that have two parts: a main clause (the subjunctive trigger) and a subordinate clause (the subjunctive perfect verb). A subordinate clause is a part of a sentence that provides additional information and depends on the main clause (the subjunctive trigger) to make sense. This tense is typically found in subordinate clauses that follow expressions indicating doubt, emotion, or possibility. It describes actions that are believed to have been completed by the present moment or in the recent past.

Click here to review the subjunctive triggers. 

Examples:

• Dudo que él haya terminado el proyecto.
  (I doubt that he has finished the project.)

• Es posible que ellos hayan llegado a casa ya.
  (It’s possible that they have arrived home already.)

• Me alegra que tú hayas pasado el examen.
  (I’m glad that you have passed the exam.)

Complete the following sentences using the correct form of haber and the past participle of the verb in parentheses:

1. Es posible que tú __________ (comer) antes de venir.
2. Dudo que ellos __________ (ver) la noticia en la televisión.
3. Espero que nosotros __________ (terminar) el trabajo antes de la fecha límite.
4. Me sorprende que ella __________ (escribir) una carta tan larga.
5. Es improbable que ustedes __________ (vivir) en esa ciudad antes.

Answers:

1. Es posible que tú hayas comido antes de venir. (It’s possible that you have eaten before coming.)
2. Dudo que ellos hayan visto la noticia en la televisión. (I doubt that they have seen the news on TV.)
3. Espero que nosotros hayamos terminado el trabajo antes de la fecha límite. (I hope that we have finished the work before the deadline.)
4. Me sorprende que ella haya escrito una carta tan larga. (It surprises me that she has written such a long letter.)
5. Es improbable que ustedes hayan vivido en esa ciudad antes. (It’s unlikely that you all have lived in that city before.)

Conclusion

The present subjunctive perfect tense is a key tool in Spanish for expressing doubt, emotions, and hypotheticals about actions that have been completed. By mastering the conjugation of haber in the present subjunctive and forming regular past participles, you can accurately describe these nuanced situations. Keep practicing these forms to become confident in using the present subjunctive perfect tense in your Spanish conversations!