Imperfect Subjunctive Formation

Formation of the Imperfect Subjunctive

• The imperfect subjunctive in Spanish is formed using the third person plural form of the preterite tense.
• For regular verbs:
  • "Hablar" (to speak) → "Hablaron" (they spoke)
  • "Vender" (to sell) → "Vendieron" (they sold)
  • "Escribir" (to write) → "Escribieron" (they wrote)
• After identifying the third person plural, remove the "-ron" ending to derive the stem for conjugation.

Endings for Conjugation

• The following endings are added to the stem for each pronoun:
  • Yo: -ra
  • Tú: -ras
  • Él/Ella/Usted: -ra
  • Nosotros/as: -ramos
  • Vosotros/as: -raiss
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -ran

Summary of Conjugation Process

• Identify the appropriate preterite tense form for the verb.
• Drop the "-ron" ending from the third person plural.
• Add the specific endings corresponding to the subject pronouns to form the imperfect subjunctive.

Verb Conjugations in Spanish (Imperfect Subjunctive)

Hablar (to speak)

• Yo: Hablara
• Tú: Hablaras
• Él/Ella/Usted: Hablara
• Nosotros/as: Habláramos
• Vosotros/as: Hablarais
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: Hablaran

Vender (to sell)

• Yo: Vendiera
• Tú: Vendieras
• Él/Ella/Usted: Vendiera
• Nosotros/as: Vendiéramos
• Vosotros/as: Vendierais
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: Vendieran

Escribir (to write)

• Yo: Escribiera
• Tú: Escribieras
• Él/Ella/Usted: Escribiera
• Nosotros/as: Escribiéramos
• Vosotros/as: Escribierais
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: Escribieran

Key Features of the Imperfect Subjunctive

• Used to express wishes, hypotheticals, and situations contrary to fact.
• Often used in conditional sentences that refer to past actions.
• The endings for all three verbs follow a similar pattern, illustrating regularity in conjugation.

Imperfect Subjunctive Forms of Irregular Verbs

• The imperfect subjunctive is used in Spanish to express wishes, hypotheticals, and actions that are contingent on another action.
• Irregular verbs in the imperfect subjunctive form must be memorized due to their unique alterations from standard patterns.

Key Irregular Verbs and Their Forms

• Poder (to be able)

  • 6th person preterite: pudieron
  • 1st person imperfect subjunctive: pudiera

• Poner (to put)

  • 6th person preterite: pusieron
  • 1st person imperfect subjunctive: pusiera

• Querer (to want)

  • 6th person preterite: quisieron
  • 1st person imperfect subjunctive: quisiera

• Saber (to know)

  • 6th person preterite: supieron
  • 1st person imperfect subjunctive: supiera

• Ser (to be)

  • 6th person preterite: fueron
  • 1st person imperfect subjunctive: fuera

• Tener (to have)

  • 6th person preterite: tuvieron
  • 1st person imperfect subjunctive: tuviera

• Traer (to bring)

  • 6th person preterite: trajeron
  • 1st person imperfect subjunctive: trajera

• Venir (to come)

  • 6th person preterite: vinieron
  • 1st person imperfect subjunctive: viniera

Subjunctive Uses in the Present

• Influencing Others: Used when trying to persuade or urge someone to take action. Example: "Insisto que hagas esto ahora" (I insist that you do this now).

• Emotional Reactions: Expresses feelings about a situation or other people's actions. Example: "Me alegro que estés aquí" (I’m glad that you are here).

• Doubt / Disbelief: Conveys skepticism about a statement or situation. Example: "Dudo que exista Dios" (I doubt that God exists).

• Expressions of Possibility: Indicates situations that may occur under certain conditions. Example: "Es posible que venga mi primo" (It’s possible that my cousin will come).

• Conjunctions of Futurity: Used with phrases that refer to future events or conditions. Example: "Hasta que se cambie la ley…" (Until the law is changed…).

• Hoping / Wanting: Expresses wishes or desires regarding future outcomes. Example: "Espero que me llame mi novio" (I hope my boyfriend calls me).

This quiz focuses on the formation of the imperfect subjunctive tense in Spanish. You will learn how to conjugate verbs by starting with the third person plural form of the preterite and modifying the endings. Test your understanding of this essential Spanish grammar concept.