Notes
Adjective clauses
- If the antecedent is known and exists, use the indicative: Tengo un amigo que habla francés.
- If it is unknown, indefinite, nonexistent or in question, use the subjunctive: Busco un amigo que hable francés. No hay nadie que hable francés. ¿Hay alguien que hable francés?
- Personal a is used with a known person, not with an unknown one: Busco a mi profesora. / Busco una profesora que me ayude.
Adverb clauses
- Always subjunctive (ESCAPA): en caso de que, sin que, con tal de que, a menos que, para que, antes de que.
- Time conjunctions (cuando, en cuanto, tan pronto como, después de que, hasta que): subjunctive for future or pending actions, indicative for habits and past events.
- Te llamaré cuando llegue. / Siempre llamo cuando llego. / Llamé cuando llegué.
- Aunque: indicative = known fact; subjunctive = uncertain or hypothetical.
- Same subject in both clauses: use an infinitive after antes de, para, sin, después de, hasta.
Topics in this unit
Each topic has its own short notes and practice.
Practice
The teacher is unknown, so the subjunctive is used. -ar verbs use -e.
Siempre shows a habit, so después de que is followed by the indicative.
Para que always takes the subjunctive; tú ending for -ar verbs: -es.
Nadie is a nonexistent antecedent, so the subjunctive is used.
En caso de que always takes the subjunctive.
The subject (yo) is the same in both parts, so para takes an infinitive.
Free response
Write your answer first, then open the scoring guide.
Free-response question
Lee: "Carlos busca un trabajo que le pague bien y que esté cerca de su casa. Su prima tiene un trabajo que le gusta mucho. Carlos dice: Voy a seguir buscando hasta que encuentre algo bueno, a menos que mi prima me ayude antes."
(a) Explain why "pague" is subjunctive but "gusta" is indicative.
Show the answer and scoring guide
Pague describes an unknown job that Carlos hopes to find, so the subjunctive is used. Gusta describes his cousin's job, which exists and is known.
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(b) Explain the mood in "hasta que encuentre" and "a menos que me ayude".
Show the answer and scoring guide
Hasta que is followed by the subjunctive because the finding has not happened yet (future). A menos que always takes the subjunctive.
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(c) Write two Spanish sentences: one with "para que" and one with "para" + infinitive. Explain the difference.
Show the answer and scoring guide
Example: Estudio para que mis padres estén orgullosos. / Estudio para sacar buenas notas. Para que is used when the subjects differ; para + infinitive is used when the subject is the same.
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