CEFR B1
What you will learn
- Contrast an asserted proposition with a wish, reaction or value judgement.
- Choose indicative for habitual or completed time clauses and subjunctive for a future event still pending.
- Choose infinitive or para que plus subjunctive according to whether the subjects coincide.
Before you start
- Have studied “The present subjunctive: build the form before choosing the mood”.
The idea
A connector is not a magic trigger. “Cuando” can introduce a habit already presented as real or an event that has not happened yet. A plain clause can assert a proposition, while a frame such as “es importante que” evaluates another subject's action. The reliable question is: does the speaker present the subordinate content as information, or place it inside a wish, reaction, evaluation, purpose or pending future?
Verbs such as querer, pedir, esperar and alegrarse, and impersonal evaluations such as es importante que, frame another subject's action instead of asserting it directly. That subordinate action takes the subjunctive.
If the same subject controls both actions, reduce the second clause to an infinitive when the construction allows it: “Espero llegar” but “Espero que llegues”.
Indicative reports a repeated, current or completed event: “Cuando abre la biblioteca, entro.” Present subjunctive points to a future occurrence that still has to become real: “Cuando abra la biblioteca, entraré.”
The main verb can be present, future, an imperative or a future-oriented periphrasis. What matters is whether the subordinate event is established or pending.
How it sounds
- Cuando recibo el pedido semanal, reviso la factura. / Cuando reciba el pedido mañana, revisaré la factura.The weekly action has occurred repeatedly, so it is presented as established. Tomorrow's delivery is not complete, so the time clause remains pending. The connector stays the same; only the status changes.
Check objective 1Another case
A proposed answer is “encaja” for this case: “Use the loose gear beside the clock. Es importante que la pieza encaja bien. (encajar)”. Choose the only valid form.
A proposed answer is “encage” for this case: “Use the loose gear beside the clock. Es importante que la pieza encage bien. (encajar)”. Choose the only valid form.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: encaje — Es importante que evaluates the subordinate state. The subordinate subject is singular; encajar keeps its j and takes the regular -ar subjunctive ending -e: encaje.
Es importante que evaluates the subordinate state. The subordinate subject is singular; encajar keeps its j and takes the regular -ar subjunctive ending -e: encaje.
Answer: encaje — Es importante que evaluates the subordinate state. The subordinate subject is singular; encajar keeps its j and takes the regular -ar subjunctive ending -e: encaje.
Es importante que evaluates the subordinate state. The subordinate subject is singular; encajar keeps its j and takes the regular -ar subjunctive ending -e: encaje.
Check objective 2Another case
A proposed answer is “termine” for this case: “Use the repeating reports. Cada tarde, cuando Marta termine el informe, lo archiva. (terminar)”. Choose the only valid form.
A proposed answer is “terminar” for this case: “Use the repeating reports. Cada tarde, cuando Marta terminar el informe, lo archiva. (terminar)”. Choose the only valid form.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: termina — Cada tarde presents an established routine, so the time clause uses the present indicative: termina.
Cada tarde presents an established routine, so the time clause uses the present indicative: termina.
Answer: termina — Cada tarde presents an established routine, so the time clause uses the present indicative: termina.
Cada tarde presents an established routine, so the time clause uses the present indicative: termina.
Check objective 3Another case
Choose the purpose construction when the same person studies and learns.
Choose the purpose construction when I explain and you understand.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: Estudio para aprender. — With the same subject in both actions, purpose uses para plus infinitive.
With the same subject in both actions, purpose uses para plus infinitive.
Answer: Te lo explico para que entiendas. — Different subjects require para que plus the subjunctive.
Different subjects require para que plus the subjunctive.
What your own language pushes you to say
Wrong Cada noche, cuando vuelva a casa, preparo la cena.
Right Cada noche, cuando vuelvo a casa, preparo la cena.
Cada noche establishes a repeated routine. A pending future context would change the reading and the mood.
Challenge: apply every rule
Solve every case and justify each choice: 1) A proposed answer is “termina” for this case: “Use the loose gear beside the clock. Es importante que la pieza termina bien. (encajar)”. Choose the only valid form. 2) A proposed answer is “llegue” for this case: “Use the repeating reports. Cada tarde, cuando Marta llegue el informe, lo archiva. (terminar)”. Choose the only valid form. 3) Choose the purpose construction when the same person studies and learns.
Answer available without interaction
- Contrast an asserted proposition with a wish, reaction or value judgement.
- Choose indicative for habitual or completed time clauses and subjunctive for a future event still pending.
- Choose infinitive or para que plus subjunctive according to whether the subjects coincide.
Answer: encaje · termina · Estudio para aprender.
Es importante que evaluates the subordinate state. The subordinate subject is singular; encajar keeps its j and takes the regular -ar subjunctive ending -e: encaje. Cada tarde presents an established routine, so the time clause uses the present indicative: termina. With the same subject in both actions, purpose uses para plus infinitive.
Curriculum alignment and sources
- B1 learners connect familiar events, intentions, opinions and brief reasons; the mood map is an editorial support for those capacities. · CEFR descriptors search
- The B1 column includes wishes and doubt, desiderative clauses, value judgements, future clauses with antes/después/cuando, and purpose with para que. Some broader alternations belong to B2 and are excluded here. · ic-pcic-grammar-b1-b2