How to Form and Use the Spanish Imperfect Subjunctive: A Guide for English Speakers

From English to Español: Bridging the Grammar Gap with Alberto Rodriquez

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The Imperfect Subjunctive in Spanish: Formation and Usage

Welcome to today’s lesson, where we’ll explore an essential but often challenging aspect of Spanish grammar for English speakers: the imperfect subjunctive. Understanding how to form and use the imperfect subjunctive will greatly enhance your ability to express past wishes, doubts, hypotheticals, and polite requests in Spanish.

Formation of the Imperfect Subjunctive

The key to forming the imperfect subjunctive lies in the third person plural form of the preterite tense (also called the simple past tense). Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Start with the third person plural preterite form of the verb.
   For example, the verb hablar (to speak) in preterite third person plural is hablaron.
2. Remove the -ron ending from this form.
   For hablaron, removing -ron leaves you with habla-.
3. Add the imperfect subjunctive endings:

• -ra
• -ras
• -ra
• -ramos (note the accent on the vowel before -ramos)
• -rais
• -ran

Putting it together for hablar:

• yo hablara
• tú hablaras
• él/ella/usted hablara
• nosotros habláramos
• vosotros hablarais
• ellos/ellas/ustedes hablaran

Examples with Other Verbs

• Comer (to eat) – preterite third person plural: comieron
  Stem: comie-
  Imperfect subjunctive: yo comiera, tú comieras, él comiera, nosotros comiéramos, vosotros comierais, ellos comieran
• Vivir (to live) – preterite third person plural: vivieron
  Stem: vivie-
  Imperfect subjunctive: yo viviera, tú vivieras, él viviera, nosotros viviéramos, vosotros vivierais, ellos vivieran

Practical Usage of the Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive is commonly used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion when the action is set in the past or is hypothetical. Here are a few common scenarios:

• If-clauses: To express unlikely or contrary-to-fact conditions in the past or present.
  Si tuviera más tiempo, viajaría más. (If I had more time, I would travel more.)
• After verbs of doubt or influence in past contexts:
  No creía que ella viniera a la reunión. (I didn’t believe she would come to the meeting.)
• Polite requests or suggestions:
  Quisiera hacer una pregunta. (I would like to ask a question.)

Exceptions and Special Notes

• -se Endings: Two Forms of the Imperfect Subjunctive
  There are two accepted imperfect subjunctive conjugation sets in Spanish: endings with -ra/-ras/-ra/-ramos/-rais/-ran and endings with -se/-ses/-se/-semos/-seis/-sen. Both are correct and interchangeable in meaning, but the -ra forms are more commonly used in everyday conversation.
• Stem Changes and Irregular Preterites
  For irregular verbs in the preterite, use the third person plural irregular stem as the base. For example:
  
  • tener: Preterite third person plural tuvieron → Stem: tuvie-
  • Imperfect subjunctive: yo tuviera, tú tuvieras, él tuviera, nosotros tuviéramos, vosotros tuvierais, ellos tuvieran
  Remember to carry stem changes from the preterite form into the imperfect subjunctive.
• Accent Placement: When adding the -ramos ending, an accent is required on the vowel immediately before the ending. This accent distinguishes the imperfect subjunctive from the preterite indicative in that form. For example:
  habláramos, comiéramos, viviéramos

Summary

To summarize, the imperfect subjunctive:

• Is formed from the third person plural preterite stem
• Has two sets of endings (-ra and -se), with -ra being more common
• Is used in past or hypothetical contexts involving doubt, desires, emotions, polite requests, or conditional statements
• Carries over irregular stems from the preterite tense
• Requires an accent in the nosotros form (on the vowel before -ramos)

Mastering the imperfect subjunctive is crucial for expressing nuanced thoughts and feelings in Spanish. Practice conjugating verbs, use them in conditional sentences, and listen for their use in authentic Spanish conversations.

For more detailed lessons and resources, Learn more at ScienceBasedLearning.com. Whether you’re a beginner or refining advanced grammar, you’ll find helpful content there.

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