The Subjunctive is used in subordinate sentences in Spanish most of the time but not always. The problem is how to ascertain when the Indicative is called for. In this page, following a method due to D. Bolinger, we give a relatively simple test that can be carried out on an English sentence to help determine which mood is to be used. Further details on the method are to be found throughout the Grammatical Notes.
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Question #10 - Gloss.?
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause not affirming or showing a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' noun subordinate sentence.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause affirming a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' noun subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' noun subordinate sentence.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause affirming a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' noun subordinate sentence.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause not affirming or showing a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being unknown, vague, unidentified, indefinite, or non existent.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being known or identified.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being known or identified.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being unknown, vague, unidentified, indefinite, or non existent.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being known or identified.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being unknown, vague, unidentified, indefinite, or non existent.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being known or identified.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being unknown, vague, unidentified, indefinite, or non existent.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' noun subordinate sentence.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause affirming a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' noun subordinate sentence.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause not affirming or showing a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' noun subordinate sentence.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause affirming a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' noun subordinate sentence.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause not affirming or showing a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause not affirming or showing a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' noun subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause not affirming or showing a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being known or identified.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being unknown, vague, unidentified, indefinite, or non existent.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being known or identified.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically independent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Improper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
Proper use of verb for a 'semantically dependent' adjectival subordinate sentence.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being unknown, vague, unidentified, indefinite, or non existent.
The Subjunctive is used in subordinate sentences in Spanish most of the time but not always. The problem is how to ascertain when the Indicative is called for. In this page, following a method due to D. Bolinger, we give a relatively simple test that can be carried out on an English sentence to help determine which mood is to be used. Further details on the method are to be found throughout the Grammatical Notes.
This method was proposed in: D. Bolinger, Hispania 57:462 (1974). The test is carried out on a 'test sentence' which is a translation of the original Spanish, modified to be grammatically valid only when the Indicative is to be used. We will say that in such a situation the subordinate is 'semantically independent', otherwise, that the subordinate is 'semantically dependent'.
The items covered are:
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause affirming a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
The 'English test sentence' is constructed as follows for noun subordinates: Express yourself as closely as possible, both in meaning and in structure, with an English equivalent compound sentence. Drop the that and shift the principal sentence after the subordinate followed by a comma.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the main clause not affirming or showing a saying, thinking, observing, or knowing attitude.
The 'English test sentence' is constructed as follows for noun subordinates: Express yourself as closely as possible, both in meaning and in structure, with an English equivalent compound sentence. Drop the that and shift the principal sentence after the subordinate followed by a comma.
The Indicative is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being known or identified.
The 'English test sentence' is constructed as follows for adjectival subordinates: Express yourself as closely as possible, both in meaning and in structure, with an English equivalent compound sentence. Drop the that (or any other 'relative pronoun') of the subordinate and replace it by a period, adjusting for any needed pronoun to preserve mening.
The Subjunctive is used in this situation, which corresponds, in the conventional treatments, to the antecedent of the adjectival subordinate sentence being unknown, vague, unidentified, indefinite, or non existent.
The 'English test sentence' is constructed as follows for adjectival subordinates: Express yourself as closely as possible, both in meaning and in structure, with an English equivalent compound sentence. Drop the that (or any other 'relative pronoun') of the subordinate and replace it by a period, adjusting for any needed pronoun to preserve mening.
Copyright 1996 Samuel Schiminovich.
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