Spanish Tenses: The Imperfect Subjunctive

17 Sep, 2009 in Uncategorized by Julio Foppoli

THE IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE – EL IMPERFECTO DEL SUBJUNTIVO

This tense is exactly the same as the Present Subjunctive, but it refers to the past.

USES

1. To express subjectivity:

I want you to come to my party.	Quiero que vengas a mi fiesta.	Present Subjunctive
I wanted you to come to my party.	Quería que vinieras a mi fiesta.	Imperfect Subjunctive
It is a pity that you cannot come. It was a pity that you couldn’t come.	Es una pena que no puedas venir. Fue una pena que no pudierasvenir.	Present Subjunctive Imperfect Subjunctive

2. To make a request or suggestion:
She is asking them to leave.	Les pide que partan.	Present Subjunctive
She asked them to leave.	Les pidió que partieran.	Imperfect Subjunctive

They advice us to stay.	Nos aconsejan que nos quedemos.	Present Subjunctive
They adviced us to stay.	Nos aconsejaron que nos quedáramos.	Imperfect Subjunctive


3. In conditional sentences (i.e. sentences that express that an action can occur if a certain condition is met)
If they studied, they would pass the test.
Si estudiaran, pasarían el exámen.

I would travel around the world if I had money.
Viajaría por el mundo si tuviera dinero.

Let´s learn how to form EL IMPERFECTO DEL SUBJUNTIVO in 3 easy steps!
There are two sets of conjugations for the Spanish imperfect subjunctive. You can choose which one you use, but you need to know the other in order to recognized it when you hear or read it.

1 Take the verb in the infinitive form	trabajar	comer	partir

2 Drop the infinitive ending	trabaj-	com-	part-

3 Add the following conjugations…

Yo	trabajara	comiera	partiera
Tú	trabajaras	comieras	partieras
Usted Él – Ella	trabajara	comiera	partiera
Nosotros	trabajáramos	comiéramos	partiéramos
Vosotros	trabajarais	comierais	partierais
Ustedes	trabajaran	comieran	partieran
Ellos	trabajaran	comieran	partieran


This tense has two possible forms. Apart from the conjugations above, you can also add:
Yo	trabajase	comiese	partiese
Tú	trabajases	comieses	partieses
Usted Él – Ella	trabajase	comiese	partiese
Nosotros	trabajásemos	comiésemos	partiésemos
Vosotros	trabajaseis	comieseis	partieseis
Ustedes	trabajasen	comiesen	partiesen
Ellos	trabajasen	comiesen	partiesen

Published on 17 Sep, 2009 in Uncategorized by Julio Foppoli

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