An Introduction to the Present Subjunctive for GCSE Higher Tier
The present subjunctive is a different verb form, not a tense, used after certain trigger expressions to show wishes, doubts, emotions, purpose and value judgements, rather than to state a plain fact. GCSE Higher tier tests it mainly after four families of trigger: wishes and requests (querer que, esperar que), emotion (me alegro de que, es una pena que), doubt or denial (no creo que, dudar que) and impersonal value judgements (es importante que, es necesario que), always when the subject changes between the two clauses. The examiner is testing whether a student can recognise a trigger expression, spot the change of subject that forces the subjunctive, and build the correct subjunctive form, including the handful of high-frequency irregulars (sea, esté, vaya, haga, tenga, pueda, sepa).
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Step 1 - find the trigger: scan the first clause for a wish or request (querer que, esperar que, pedir que), an emotion (alegrarse de que, es una pena que, es una lástima que), doubt or denial (no creo que, dudar que, no pienso que) or an impersonal value judgement (es importante/necesario/mejor que). No trigger, no subjunctive - if none of these is present, use the indicative as normal.
- Step 2 - check for a change of subject between the two clauses, joined by que. If the subject stays the same, drop que and use an infinitive instead (Quiero ir, not Quiero que vaya); the subjunctive only appears when the two clauses have different subjects (Quiero que vayas tú).
- Step 3 - if both tests pass, a trigger is present and the subject changes, build the subjunctive: take the yo form of the present indicative, remove the final -o, and add the 'opposite' set of endings - -ar verbs take e/es/e/emos/éis/en, -er and -ir verbs take a/as/a/amos/áis/an. Hablar -> hablo -> hable, hables, hable, hablemos, habléis, hablen. Comer -> como -> coma, comas, coma, comamos, comáis, coman.
- Learn the small set of high-frequency irregular present subjunctives that do not follow the yo-form rule: ser -> sea, estar -> esté, ir -> vaya, haber -> haya, saber -> sepa, dar -> dé. Verbs with a normal irregular yo form still follow the rule: tener (tengo) -> tenga, hacer (hago) -> haga, poder (puedo) -> pueda.
- Stem-changing -ar and -er verbs keep the same stem change as the present indicative in every person except nosotros/vosotros: querer -> quiera, quieras, quiera, queramos, queráis, quieran; but -ir stem-changers also change nosotros/vosotros, from e to i or o to u: pedir -> pida, pidas, pida, pidamos, pidáis, pidan.
- Run the decision procedure on every que-clause you write in an exam, in order: is there a trigger from one of the four families? does the subject change? Only write the subjunctive if the answer to both is yes; if either answer is no, use the indicative for a fact or the infinitive for the same subject instead.
- In listening and reading, spot the subjunctive as a signal that the sentence is about a wish, doubt, emotion or value judgement rather than a stated fact, even before translating every word: Es importante que estudies signals advice, not a statement that studying is happening.
Worked example
Apply the decision procedure to build the correct verb form: 'Mis padres quieren que (yo) / sacar / buenas notas' and 'Es importante / hacer / ejercicio' (no named subject change in the second one).
- First sentence: the trigger is quieren que (a wish), which passes step 1. The subject of quieren is mis padres and the subject of sacar would be yo - the subject changes, which passes step 2, so the subjunctive is needed.
- Build the subjunctive of sacar: yo form saco, remove -o to get sac-, add the -ar 'opposite' endings; for yo it is saque, with a spelling change from c to qu before e, to keep the hard c sound: Mis padres quieren que yo saque buenas notas.
- Second sentence: es importante is a trigger (impersonal value judgement), which passes step 1, but no second subject is named - the sentence is a general statement, so there is no change of subject to trigger que + subjunctive.
- Because step 2 fails, keep the infinitive instead of building a subjunctive clause: Es importante hacer ejercicio, unless a specific person were named, such as Es importante que hagas ejercicio, for you specifically.
Practice questions
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Q1Does 'Espero que tu hermano venga a la fiesta' need the subjunctive? Why?Show answer
Answer: Yes - esperar que is a wish trigger and the subject changes from yo (implied by espero) to tu hermano.
Q2Give the present subjunctive of 'ser' for 'tú'.Show answer
Answer: Seas - an irregular form, not built from the yo-form rule.
Q3Complete: No creo que ella ___ (tener) razón.Show answer
Answer: tenga (No creo que ella tenga razón).
Q4Explain why 'Quiero comer pizza esta noche' does NOT use the subjunctive.Show answer
Answer: Because the subject (yo) is the same in both parts of the idea - there is no que-clause with a different subject, so the infinitive is used instead.
Q5Give the present subjunctive of 'ir' for 'nosotros'.Show answer
Answer: Vayamos.
Q6Complete: Es una pena que no ___ (poder) venir tú.Show answer
Answer: puedas (Es una pena que no puedas venir tú).
Q7Translate: 'My teacher wants us to study more.'Show answer
Answer: Mi profesor quiere que estudiemos más.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Spanish exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Translate this passage into English: Mis padres esperan que yo saque buenas notas este año, pero no creo que sea fácil porque tenemos muchos exámenes. Es importante que todos estudiemos juntos, y me alegro de que mi mejor amiga me ayude con las matemáticas.
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Translate into Spanish: 'I want you (tú) to help me with my homework. It's a shame that you can't come to the party, but I hope that everything goes well.'
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