edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
- 1Try
- 2Learn
- 3Practise
- 4Check
The rule, in three lines
When you want, ask, hope or doubt something about SOMEBODY ELSE, Spanish needs que and a subjunctive: quiero que vengas, espero que llegue, dudo que sea. If the subject is the same person, there is no que and no subjunctive: quiero venir. To build it, take the yo form of the present, drop the -o and swap the vowel: hablo to hable, como to coma, tengo to tenga.
The usual slip. Using an infinitive because English does: quiero que venir, quiero tú venir.
Why it catches you out. English has almost nothing left of its subjunctive — “I suggest he be here” is the last corner of it — so it says “I want YOU TO COME”, with an infinitive and an object. Spanish cannot do that: two different subjects means “que” and a subjunctive, with no way round it. The good news is that the test is mechanical: count the subjects.