Review: Present/Past Subjunctive, Commands, & Present Tense

Complete Spanish Verb Course Retrieval Practice: Present/Past Subjunctive, Commands, & Present Tense Review: Present/Past Subjunctive, Commands, & Present Tense

This review lesson will help you consolidate your understanding of four key aspects of Spanish grammar: the present subjunctive, past subjunctive, commands, and present tense. Each of these forms serves a specific purpose in communication, from expressing doubts or wishes to giving orders and stating facts. This review will summarize their uses and highlight the differences between them.

1. Present Tense (Indicative Mood)

The present tense in the indicative mood is used to describe actions that are happening now, habitual actions, or universal truths. It is the most straightforward tense and is typically used for factual statements.

Examples:

Yo hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)
Ella vive en Madrid. (She does live in Madrid.)
Nosotros comemos a las dos. (We are eating at two.)

Key Points:

The present tense is used for certainty and factual statements.
It is not typically used for giving commands or expressing desires/doubts, which require the imperative or subjunctive moods.

2. Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive is used to express doubt, desire, uncertainty, or hypothetical situations in the present or future. It is often triggered by certain expressions or verbs that convey these emotions or states.

Examples:

Espero que tú hables con ella. (I hope that you speak with her.)
Es posible que él viva en Madrid. (It’s possible that he lives in Madrid.)
Dudo que nosotros comamos a las dos. (I doubt that we eat at two.)

Key Points:

The present subjunctive is typically used after verbs and expressions that indicate uncertainty, emotion, or doubt.
It is also used in forming commands (see below) for usted, ustedes, nosotros, and negative tú and vosotros commands.

3. Past Subjunctive

The past subjunctive (also known as the imperfect subjunctive) is used to express similar concepts as the present subjunctive—doubts, wishes, hypotheticals, or emotions—but about actions or events that took place in the past.

Examples:

Dudaba que él viniera a la fiesta. (I doubted that he would come to the party.)
Si tuviera dinero, compraría una casa. (If I had money, I would buy a house.)
Quería que tú me dijeras la verdad. (I wanted you to tell me the truth.)

Key Points:

The past subjunctive is used in the same contexts as the present subjunctive but refers to past actions.
It can also be used for politeness or courtesy, especially with verbs like poder and querer (e.g., pudiera, quisiera).

4. Commands (Imperative Mood)

Commands are used to give direct instructions or orders. Depending on who you are speaking to, commands can take different forms. Positive and negative commands may also differ, especially in the tú and vosotros forms.

Positive and Negative Tú Command Examples:

Habla con ella. / No hables con ella. (Speak with her. / Don’t speak with her.)
Come la cena. / No comas la cena. (Eat the dinner. / Don’t eat the dinner.)
Escribe la carta. / No escribas la carta. (Write the letter. / Don’t write the letter.)

Other Command Forms (Usted, Nosotros, Vosotros, Ustedes):

Hable con ella. / No hable con ella. (Speak with her. / Don’t speak with her.)
Comamos la cena. / No comamos la cena. (Let’s eat the dinner. / Let’s not eat the dinner.)
Escriban la carta. / No escriban la carta. (Write the letter. / Don’t write the letter.)

Key Points:

Tú and vosotros have different forms for positive and negative commands.
Tú negative, vosotros negative, usted (Ud.), ustedes (Uds.), and nosotros commands all follow the same irregular patterns as in the subjunctive mood.

5. Comparison and Application

Present Tense vs. Present Subjunctive vs. Commands:

Present Tense: Used to describe actions happening now, habitual actions, or universal truths.
- Example: Ella habla español. (She speaks Spanish.)
Present Subjunctive: Used to express doubt, desire, uncertainty, or hypothetical situations. It often follows verbs or expressions that require the subjunctive mood.
- Example: Es posible que ella hable español. (It’s possible that she speaks Spanish.)
Commands: Used to give direct instructions or orders. Commands change based on whether they are positive or negative, and according to the pronoun being addressed.
- Example: Habla español. (Speak Spanish.) / No hables español. (Don’t speak Spanish.)

Present Subjunctive vs. Past Subjunctive:

Present Subjunctive: Used to express doubts, wishes, emotions, or hypotheticals in the present or future.
- Example: Espero que tú hables con ella. (I hope that you speak with her.)
Past Subjunctive: Used to express the same concepts as the present subjunctive, but related to past events. It also appears in polite requests or hypotheticals.
- Example: Esperaba que tú hablaras con ella. (I hoped that you spoke with her.)
- Another Example: Si yo tuviera más tiempo, lo haría. (If I had more time, I would do it.)

6. Practice Exercise

Complete the sentences with the correct form (present tense, present subjunctive, past subjunctive, or command):

Espero que tú __________ (hablar) con el jefe hoy.
Si yo __________ (tener) más tiempo, estudiaría más.
No __________ (comer) tan rápido. (Negative tú command)
__________ (Escribir) una carta a tu madre. (Positive tú command)
Si nosotros __________ (poder), te ayudaríamos con la tarea.
Es importante que ellos __________ (llegar) a tiempo.
No __________ (decir) eso en público. (Negative tú command)
Si ella __________ (venir) a la reunión, todo sería diferente.
__________ (Venir) a la fiesta mañana. (Positive tú command)
Espero que nosotros __________ (terminar) el proyecto a tiempo.

Answers:

Espero que tú hables con el jefe hoy. (Present Subjunctive)
Si yo tuviera más tiempo, estudiaría más. (Past Subjunctive)
No comas tan rápido. (Negative tú command)
Escribe una carta a tu madre. (Positive tú command)
Si nosotros pudiéramos, te ayudaríamos con la tarea. (Past Subjunctive)
Es importante que ellos lleguen a tiempo. (Present Subjunctive)
No digas eso en público. (Negative tú command)
Si ella viniera a la reunión, todo sería diferente. (Past Subjunctive)
Ven a la fiesta mañana. (Positive tú command)
Espero que nosotros terminemos el proyecto a tiempo. (Present Subjunctive)

Conclusion

Understanding the differences between the present tense, present subjunctive, past subjunctive, and commands is essential for effective communication in Spanish. Each form serves a specific purpose, from stating facts to expressing doubts and giving instructions. By mastering these forms, you’ll be able to navigate a wide range of conversational contexts with confidence. Keep practicing these forms to solidify your understanding and improve your fluency in Spanish!

Previous Lesson

Back to Lesson

Next Topic