The Pluperfect Subjunctive
Uses:
In Spanish, the Pluperfect Subjunctive is largely used with the same triggers as the Imperfect Subjunctive except for one main difference:
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the action of the subordinate clause may have happened before another action.
The triggers are:
1. To express desire: desear que, preferir que, querer que:
For example: "deseaba que hubieras comido más fruta"
2. To express hope: esperar que, ojalá:
For example: “esperaba que hubieras llamado a tu mamá.”
3. To express fear: temer que, tener miedo que:
For example: “temía que no hubieras hecho tu trabajo.”
4. To express emotions: estar contento que, estar triste que, gustar que:
For example: “estaba triste que hubiéramos comido todo el pan.”
5. To express doubt: dudar que, no creer que, no imaginarse que, negar que, no parecer que, no pensar que, no suponer que:
For example: “yo no creía que el gobierno hubiera dicho la verdad.”
6. For negative expressions with verbs that indicate speech: no decir que:
For example: “no decía que ellos hubieran viajado allí.”
7. To express possibility: es posible que, no es posible que, es imposible que:
For example: “¿es posible que hayamos gastado demasiado dinero?”
8. To express requests and influence: exigir que, insistir en que, pedir que, sugerir que:
For example: “insisto en que hayan preparado la comida.”
9. After impersonal expressions (usually with es): es aconsejable que, es importante que, es primordial que, etc.:
For example: “es importante que hayan ido a Salamanca.”
10. With specific words and phrases: acaso, a menos que, antes de que, aunque*, como si, en el caso de que, hasta que, mientras que, para que, quizás, sin que, tal vez:
For example: “quizás hayan hecho sus deberes.”
*Notebook: Aunque can be used in the Indicative as well as the Subjunctive.
**Notebook: The subject must change for the Subjunctive to be used.
***Notebook: The Pluperfect Subjunctive can be used with the Imperfect, Pluperfect, Preterite, Conditional and Conditional Perfect
Formation: Regular verbs
The Perfect Subjunctive is formed by using the Present Subjunctive of the auxiliary verb, haber, and a past participle.
The verb haber indicates who has done the action.
Below is the Present Subjunctive conjugation of haber:
In addtion to haber, the Perfect Subjunctive requires a past participle.
In order to form the past participles of regular verbs like hablar, comer, and vivir, we follow these steps:
1. We remove the infinitive ending to obtain the stem
hablar - ar = habl
comer - er = com
vivir - ir = viv
2. We add the correct ending to the stem:
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ar → ado
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er → ido
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ir → ido
Therefore the past participles of hablar, comer, and vivir are as follows:
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hablar → hablado
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comer → comido
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vivir → vivido
Formation: Irregular past participles
There are a few irregular past participles in Spanish.
Spelling change ído instead of ido:
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atraer → atraído
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caer → caído
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creer → creído
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leer → leído
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oír → oído
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traer → traído
1. Very important verbs:
decir → dicho
hacer → hecho
ver → visto
volver → vuelto
2. Important verbs:
abrir → abierto
escribir → escrito
freír → frito
morir → muerto
poner → puesto
romper → roto
3. Less important verbs:
cubrir → cubierto
prender → preso
resolver → resuelto
satisfacer → satisfecho
Click here to continue to exercises on the Perfect Subjunctive
Published: 18/04/2016