UESES OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE

Ways of conveying the subjunctive in English (MARKERS)

Examples
rd
BARE INFINITIVE No problem when the bare infinitive is used with a 3 person singular, She insist that he go (SUBJ) to the club every Insiste en que vaya (SUBJ) al club todos los
since it is clear; otherwise it would be ambiguous. day. días.
She insists that THEY go (…) Insiste en que vayan (SUBJ) // van(IND)
WERE/WAS Only recognised as a SUBJ marker when used with 1st or 3rd p. s.
subjects.
I wouldn’t look if I were (SUBJ) you. No lo miraría si fuera (SUBJ) usted.
* SUBJ is used to refer to a hypothetical idea.
* IND reports a fact. If you were
PAST TENSE Always AMBIGUOUS. She insisted that they went (¿subj/ind?) to the Insistía en que fuera (subj) // iba (ind) al club.
club.
MODALS Conveys:
MOOD (M) I demand that he should go.
[Subjunctive]
TENSE (Tn) He would go if you ask him.
[Future or conditional // prediction; unfulfilled]
MODALITY PROPER (Mp) She should leave one.
[Ability, probability, etc.]

ENGLISH SPANISH
Morphologically
MOOD (M) Ø
marked Ø
TENSE (Tn) Ø
MODALITY PROPER (Mp) MODAL (Mp)
 Other ways to convey the subjunctive in English
Examples
CONNECTIVES 1. COMPOUNDS WITH –EVER * In Spanish, we stick to the idea of SUBJ Wherever she was (…)  IND Donde quiera que estuviese (…)  SUBJ
expressed by wherever and whatever.
* Subjunctive in translation.
* Eng – INDICATIVE
* Sp - SUBJUNCTIVE

2. EVEN IF In Sp even if is used to convey subj. Even if we pass (…)  IND Aunque pasemos (…)  SUBJ
INFINITIVE * Most AMBIGUOUS way to convey SUBJ. Borges went to Switzerland to die there. Borges fue a Suiza para morir allí (A)
* The reader has to pay attention to the hints (A)  purpose or result?
POSITION OF * Typical of adverbial clauses, especially in final position. * They told me they would leave when * Me dijeron que se irían cuando Susan
CLAUSES Susan arrived (IND) (A) llegara (SUBJ) // llegó (IND)
* In initial position it is not ambiguous * When Susan arrived (IND), they told me * Cuando Susan llegó (IND), me dijeron que
they would leave. se irían.

GUIDE TO ANALYSE THE CHOICE OF MOOD

C (category): Type of clause and syntactic function.
M (mood): Mood (Indicative or Subjunctive)
K (key): Key (element that triggers each mood)
J (justification): justification for the choice of mood
NB:
Observations [Relevant anteriority such as MODALS expressing Mood (M),
Tense (Tn) or Modality Proper (Mp) or AMBIGUITY (A) where you have to
consider: M, K and J]
 USES OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE
1. In DEPENDENT CLAUSES when triggered by certain key elements with features of:
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE ENGLISH SPANISH
EXAMPLES EXAMPLES
+ Volition I suggested she go home. + Volition Sugirió que fuera a casa.
[3° p. s.  + fácil]
Complement
Ø + Feelings Agradecería que pudieras venir.
Ø + Uncertainty Dudo que esto fuera lo que él quería decir.
NOUN Point of view: [= JUSTIFICATION] Point of view:
CLAUSE a- Ø Ø a- Present Tm reference EJEMPLO
Extra- b- Future Tm reference I consider it a just judgement that she should expose b- Future Tm reference Considero que es el castigo que se merece que ella
position her cause. abrace su causa.
+ Necessity It is essential that it be clear of mines. + Necessity Es fundamental que esté libre de minas.
[KEY= VERBO PRAL. (main cl.)]
Ø + Uncertainty Es posible que nunca pudiera lograr olvidarla.
Type of clause [= KEY] + Hypothetical meaning of the Es esencial que el médico esté cuando lleguemos.
+ Purpose The judge sent the doctor away so that he could verb
ADVERBIAL keep the secret. [KEY= VERBO SUB CL.]
CLAUSE + Unreal condition If I were you, I’d start looking for a job.
+ Manner (comparison) You make it sound as if all of it were common sense.
[AS IF; AS THOUG; LEST]
RELATIVE Ø I’m going to marry a man that is rich Non-specific antecedent - ¿Qué querés saber?
CLAUSE [AMBIGUOUS] Ambiguos bc in SP: - (…) que sea rico (SUBJ) [= KEY] - Cualquier cosa que sea relevante.
[ALWAYS INDICATIVE IN -(…) que es rico (IND)
ENGLISH]

2. In INDEPENDENT CLAUSES when the key element expresses degree of uncertainty.

 NOUN CLAUSES
Part I: As COMPLEMENTS
The key to trigger the subjunctive in NCls is THE VERB IN THE MAIN CLAUSE
When the Vb in Sp conveys VOLITION, UNCERTAINTY or FEELINGS  SUBJUNCTIVE
In Eng, the subj is only conveyed when the Vb has the semantic feature of VOLITION

ENGLISH SPANISH
Volition (imposition of will) Volition (imposition of will)
Ø Uncertainty
Ø Feelings

VOLITION (IMPOSITION OF WILL) UNCERTAINTY FEELINGS

AS DIRECT OBJECT * Shown by the use of the BARE INFINITIVE I doubt that this was true I’d appreciate if you could come
She suggested (K) I go (SUBJ) home. Dudo (K) que esto fuera (SUBJ) verdad. Te agradecería (K) que pudieras (SUBJ) venir.
Sugirío que me fuera a casa
OTHER FUNCTIONS OF NOUN CLAUSES
IN APPOSITION * Volition present in the NOUN She organised a wedding without any assurance that there was a It is my hope that you are enjoying the party.
And his suggestion that she ask for help, there was love groom. Es mi deseo que estén disfrutando de la fiesta.
Y su sugerencia de que ella pidiera ayuda, había amor. Organizó un casamiento sin la seguridad de que hubiera un novio.
AS ADJECTIVAL * Few adjectives have a feature of volition He was not sure if he had spoken impulsively. I am very happy that my daughter is marrying Henry.
COMPLEMENT I was adamant that he be appointed. No estaba seguro de que no hubiera hablado impulsivamente. Estoy muy content de que mi hija se case con Harry.
Me mantuve firme en que fuera elegido.
AS SUBJUNCTIVE The suggestion was that she come. My doubt is that this was what he intended to say. His hope was that she would come.
COMPLEMENT La sugerencia fue que viniera. Mi duda es que fuera lo que él había querido decir. Su deseo/esperanza era que ella viniera.
Part II: In EXTRA-POSITION
The key in NCls in extra position is the COMPLEMENT (C) - Subjective comeplent (SC)in noun clauses as RSEP
- Objective complement (OC) as RDOEP

ENGLISH SPANISH
Point of view (bias): Point of view (bias):
a- Ø a- Present Tm Reference
b- Future Tm Reference b- Future Tm Reference
Necessity Necessity
Ø Uncertainty

ENGLISH SPANISH
POINT OF PRESENT TM REFERENCE Ø EJEMPLO
VIEW FUTURE TM REFERENCE I consider it a just judgement that she should espouse her cause Considero que es el castigo que se merece que ella abrace su causa.
NECESSITY [K= v pral main cl.] It is essential that it be clear of mines Es fundamental que esté libre de minas.
UNCERTAINTY Ø Era posible que nunca pudiera lograr olvidarla
 RELATIVE CLAUSES
RELATIVE (ADJECTIVAL) CLAUSES NOMINAL RELATIVE CLAUSES (relative as nominal) CONNECTIVES
* Always INDICATIVE in English. * In ENGLISH = INDICATIVE AS and BUT are the most misleading connectors and can be
* In Spanish, the ANTECEDENT triggers the subjunctive when it is non- * In SPANISH it depends on the ANTECEDENT difficult to translate.
specific, unknown for the speaker  KEY: ANTECENDET
EJEMPLOS
SPANISH
Non-specific

EJEMPLOS

ADVERBIAL CLAUSES
ENGLISH SPANISH
Purpose
Conditional (unreal) Hypothetical meaning
Clauses introduced by AS IF/AS THOUGH/LEST [MANNER]

PURPOSE CONDTIONAL MANNER

* The most common connectives introducing adverbial clauses of * The most common connective is IF / SI * AS IF ; AS THOUGH / COMO SI: Always SUBJUNCTIVE in Eng.
purpose: SO THAT / PARA QUE * Only UNREAL CONDITIONALS require SUBJUNCTIVE. You make it sound as if all of this were common sense (SUBJ)
She left home so that she would be on time to the meeting If I were you (SUBJ), I’d start looking for a job. Lo hace parecer como si esto fuera (K: +hypothetical: unknown)
Se fue de casa para que llegase a tiempo a la reunión Si yo fuera usted (subj), comenzaría a buscar empleo. (SUBJ) sentido común.
* Be careful with this connective since it can represent RESULT as
well, therefore we have to pay attention to the context. Sometimes * UNLESS / A MENOS QUE
the connective is split, so it is easier to recognise it as result instead of * IF AND WHEN / SIEMPRE Y CUANDO
purpose. * UNLESS and UNTIL / MIENTRAS … NO
* LEST is another connective for purpose. * LEST: it can also introduce adverbial clauses of condition with the
It is equivalent to SO THAT … NOT / PARA QUE … NO meaning on IN CASE / EN CASO DE; POR SI.
It always requires SUBJUNCTIVE, no matter the type of clause It always requires SUBJUNCTIVE, even in real conditional
it introduces. clauses.
HYPOTHETICAL MEANING
Impossibility
Unknown
Still to happen