FHUHS Spanish

The Subjunctive Mode in Noun Clauses

The Subjunctive mode is used in noun clauses whenever the primary clause expresses doubt, emotion, or volition (will).

What is a noun clause?

A noun clause is a sentence fragment containing at least a subject and a verb which, when taken together, function as a noun, frequently as the direct object of the verb in the primary clause. In the following sentence:

I want a new car.

the direct object is “a new car.” It’s what “I want…”

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Formation of the Imperfect Subjunctive

There are two forms of the imperfect subjunctive: the -ra forms and the -se forms. There are more or less interchangeable so you really only need to learn to generate the -ra forms and recognize the -se forms. Native speakers seem to use both according to what sounds best to their ear in the sentence in question.

There are no irregular forms of the imperfect subjunctive—as long as you know the 3rd person plural of the preterite indicative of the verb you want to use, the formation is perfectly regular. Just follow these steps:

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Formation of the Present Subjunctive

There are three simple steps to forming the present subjunctive:

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