Giving orders, and being polite about it
CEFR B1 · part 1
edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
“Quiero que vengas”: the subjunctiveForming the present subjunctive and using it after verbs of wanting, asking, feeling and…“Creo que es” but “no creo que sea”Choosing indicative or subjunctive after verbs of thinking, saying and seeming…Three ways of saying “will”Choosing between the present, “ir a” + infinitive and the simple future, and knowing…“Pedir” or “preguntar”: one “ask”, two verbsUsing “preguntar” for a question and “pedir” for a request: “le pregunté la hora”…“Quedar”, “quedarse”, “dejar”Four everyday verbs that English packs into “stay”, “leave”, “keep” and “arrange”…“Ser” or “estar”: two verbs for one “to be”Choosing between “ser” and “estar” in everyday sentences: who you are and what you are…The rule, in three lines
A positive command to tú is the él form: habla, come, escribe — with eight irregulars to learn: di, haz, ve, pon, sal, sé, ten, ven. A NEGATIVE command borrows the subjunctive: no hables, no vengas. For a group, Spain says hablad and Latin America says hablen, and both are the normal command where they are used.
The usual slip. Making the negative out of the positive: no ven, when it is no vengas.
Why it catches you out. English has ONE command form and it never changes: “come”, “don't come”. Spanish changes shape twice — once for who you are talking to, and again for positive versus negative — so a single English imperative can come out as four different Spanish words.