Why must there be both an indicative and a subjunctive mode?

People recognize the need to express ideas in two entirely different realms of thought. On the one hand, there is the objective world of reality. On the other hand, there is the realm of all areas other than those of objective fact.

The indicative mode is used to express that world of reality: what is, what was, what will be.

The subjunctive mode is used to convey ideas in the realm of all areas other than those of objective fact: concepts that are hypothetical, contrary to fact, those which embody the expression of feelings of the speaker toward a state or action.

Although Spanish uses the subjunctive much more and in many more instances than English, the function of the subjunctive in the two languages is not entirely dissimilar. English often does not use the subjunctive to convey ideas expressed by the Spanish subjunctive, but it does have other constructions to express these very same ideas.

Juana trabaja mucho. (Juana works a great deal.) INDICATIVO

Deseo que Juana trabaje mucho. (I wish that Juana would work a great deal.) SUBJUNTIVO

Pedro viene en seguida. (Pedro is coming right away.)IND.

Es preciso que Pedro venga en seguida. (lt is necessary that Pedro come right away) SUBJ.

El chico habla español (The boy speaks Spanish.) IND

Sugiero que el chico hable español. (I suggest that the boy speak Spanish.) SUBJ.

The IND. deals with objective facts that are taking place, will take place, or that took place. The SUBJ. expresses, among other things, hypothetical states or actions, or feelings of the speaker either toward the facts or toward hypothetical states or actions.

-The SUBJ. is usually found after que in a dependent clause when the nature of the verb of the main clause requires a SUBJ.

(NOTE: These dependent clauses are often classified as noun clauses when they function as a noun, as adjective clauses when they modify an antecedent, and adverbial clauses when they perform the function of an adverb.)

(Noun clauses)

-The SUBJ. after SER + ADJECTIVE + QUE

IND.	SUBJ.
Es seguro que mañana lloverá. (It's sure it'll rain tomorrow)	Es posible que mañana llueva. (It might rain tomorrow)
Es verdad que haces todo el trabajo. (It's true you do all the work)	Es bueno que hagas todo el trabajo. (It's good you do all the work)

Expressions beginning with a form of ser + Adj. (the Spanish equivalent of It is + adj.), where not the fact but the opinion of the speaker toward a hypothetical state or action is stated, are followed by SUBJ. in the QUE clause. When such expressions insist on a fact or on the certainty of a fact, they are followed by the IND.

Among the It is + adj. expressions followed by the IND. are:	When these expressions are used in the NEGATIVE, they usually take the SUBJ.
Es cierto	No es cierto
Es evidente	No es evidente
Es verdad	No es verdad
Es una realidad	No es una realidad
Es un hecho	No es un hecho
Es claro	No es claro

 

Among the It is + adj. expressions followed by SUBJ. are:

Es necesario	Es posible
Es bueno	Es preciso
Es conveniente	Es preferible
Es hora	Es raro
Es importante	Es probable
Es imposible	Es natural
Es interesante	Es justo

- The sequence of tenses in the SUBJ.: When the main clause is in the present and the action of the QUE clause is present (or future), the QUE clause is in the present SUBJ. In almost all verbs the present SUB. is based on the first person singular of the present IND.

Verbs of feeling, emotion, and hope are followed by the SUBJ. in a QUE clause, since it is not the action of the QUE clause that is stressed but rather the reaction of the subject of the sentence toward that action.

Estoy contento de que tú sigas con el trabajo de tu tío. (I'm happy you're continuing with your uncle's work)

Susana espera que no llueva. (Susana hopes it doesn't rain)

The SUBJ. is used in QUE clauses after verbs of wishing, commanding, requesting, permitting, forbidding, preventing, advising, persuading, suggesting, inviting, insisting, compelling, and the like, all of which express the desire of the subject of the main clause toward the action in the QUE clause.

wishing Quiero que mis hijos sepan hablar español. (I want my sons to know how to speak Spanish) Ojalá que llueva (I wish that it would rain.)

commanding El guardia manda que el chofer pare el coche. (The policeman orders the driver to stop the car.)

requesting Pediremos al dueño que ponga un nuevo baño en nuestro departamento. (We will ask the owner to put a new bathroom in our apartment.)

preventing ¿Quién impide que, la gente salga por esa puerta? (Who keeps the people from leaving by this door?)

advising Les aconsejo que no vayan a ese barrio. (I advise you not to go to that part of town)

suggesting El carpintero sugiere que compremos aquella madera. (The carpenter suggests that we buy that lumber)

inviting La señora nos invita a que entremos,. (The lady invites/is inviting us to enter.)

insisting Insisto en que vayan a dormir porque es muy tarde. (I insist on your going to sleep because it is very late.)

demanding Exijo que nos den más tiempo para acabar. (I demand that they give us more time to finish)

 - Either the SUBJ. construction in a QUE clause or the INFINITIVE with the indirect object may be used after the verbs aconsejar, dejar, hacer, impedir, mandar, permitir, and prohibir.

Te aconsejo que dejes el país en seguida. (I advise you to leave the countryimmediately.)

Te aconsejo dejar el país en seguida.

¿Dejas que los niños coman todos los caramelos? (Do you let the children eat all that candy?)

¿Dejas comer a los niños todos los caramelos?

Haremos que pinte nuestro cuarto. (We will have him paint our room.)

Le haremos pintar nuestro cuarto.

El muro impide que los prisioneros escapen. (The wall prevents the prisoners from escaping.)

El muro impide escapar a los prisioneros.

El jefe manda a su secretaria que escriba todas las cartas antes de irse. (The boss orders his secretary to writeall the letters before leaving.)

El jefe manda a su secretaria escribir todas las cartas antes de irse.

La ley prohibe que la gente tenga armas. (The law prohibits people from owning arms.)

La ley prohibe a la gente tener armas.

 (there's more on the way)