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The subjunctive

 

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  #1  
Old May 14, 2008, 12:39 AM
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The subjunctive

This is something I read on Yahoo the other day. I believe it was from an EFE article:

- El partido fue suspendido luego de que una mujer policía se disparara fuera del estadio.

Could someone explain to me why the imperfect subjunctive is used?
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  #2  
Old May 14, 2008, 07:09 AM
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The phrase luego de que requires the subjunctive, and it's in the imperfect mood because the action in the main clause took place in the past.
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Old May 14, 2008, 07:18 AM
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Es exacto lo que dice Rusty. El uso del subjuntivo es una exigencia de la cláusula principal. No tiene sentido preguntarse por qué, pues no existe, en este caso, una alternativa en indicativo con distinto significado.
El enfoque para comprender el subjuntivo es estructuralista. La estructura lo exige. Muchas gramáticas lo explican como si el subjuntivo tuviera un significado en sí mismo, como si tuviera que ver con la actitud del hablante, o con la irrealidad del suceso, etc. Pero esto es falso. Frases como ésta lo demuestran.

Luego de que + subjuntivo.
Después de que + subjuntivo.
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Old May 15, 2008, 02:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Alfonso View Post
Es exacto lo que dice Rusty. El uso del subjuntivo es una exigencia de la cláusula principal. No tiene sentido preguntarse por qué, pues no existe, en este caso, una alternativa en indicativo con distinto significado.
El enfoque para comprender el subjuntivo es estructuralista. La estructura lo exige. Muchas gramáticas lo explican como si el subjuntivo tuviera un significado en sí mismo, como si tuviera que ver con la actitud del hablante, o con la irrealidad del suceso, etc. Pero esto es falso. Frases como ésta lo demuestran.

Luego de que + subjuntivo.
Después de que + subjuntivo.
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  #5  
Old May 15, 2008, 02:56 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alfonso View Post
Es exacto lo que dice Rusty. El uso del subjuntivo es una exigencia de la cláusula principal. No tiene sentido preguntarse por qué, pues no existe, en este caso, una alternativa en indicativo con distinto significado.
El enfoque para comprender el subjuntivo es estructuralista. La estructura lo exige. Muchas gramáticas lo explican como si el subjuntivo tuviera un significado en sí mismo, como si tuviera que ver con la actitud del hablante, o con la irrealidad del suceso, etc. Pero esto es falso. Frases como ésta lo demuestran.

Luego de que + subjuntivo.
Después de que + subjuntivo.
Eso es lo que pansaba yo. Gracias, Alfonso. Ahora me siento mejor respecto a mis malentendidos. Sólo hay que memorizar los gatillos de este modo fastidioso.
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Old May 15, 2008, 11:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gatitoverde View Post
Eso es lo que pensaba yo. Gracias, Alfonso. Ahora me siento mejor respecto a mis malentendidos. Sólo hay que memorizar los gatillos de este modo fastidioso.
No estoy seguro que se pueda usar gatillo/trigger de este modo. Algún hablante nativo que pueda opinar? Quizá sería mejor: Hay que memorizar estas frases que requieren/exigen/causan/desencadenan/provocan el subjuntivo.
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Old May 16, 2008, 12:38 AM
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Oh, I have too much experience trying to port over English expressions into foreign languages to know that it's a losing proposition, David. But every once in a while, sh*t sticks to the wall. I was actually curious what the natives would say about it. If I'd really been that concerned with being correct, I would have thrown it in a search engine and seen if I got any results, which is a method I'm finding indispensable since I'm sitting in a hotel room all week waiting for my rent to expire and my bus to take me back to SLC and you guys are all at work so you can't help me al tiro and I'm making French flashcards anyway--in the first person so I don't take nine hours to compose a butchered sentence as evinced by your little avión thread--and I can't find a French forum approaching this quality, so blah! But actually, thank you. I trust your opinion on that one. I think I'll drink my foe-ty. <---El desfile de idiotas en mi cerebro. <--- Too cool for the parade.

Last edited by gatitoverde; May 16, 2008 at 01:16 AM.
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Old May 14, 2008, 07:26 AM
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Beautiful. Thank you again, Rusty, and everyone. And if anyone else feels like contributing, I could maybe use a list of similar phrases requiring the subjunctive . . .

Qué hermoso. Grácias de nuevo, Rusty, y a todos. Y si alguien se sienta dispuesto a ayudarme en agregar otros ejemplos de frases seguidas por el subjunctivo, no vacile, por favor . . .
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  #9  
Old May 14, 2008, 07:30 AM
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Exactly what I was thinking, David! I had to quickly go back and edit my post to say and everyone/a todos!
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Old May 14, 2008, 07:33 AM
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Well, in addition to the time-related conjunctions I wrote above, here's a few more expressions off the top of my head that must be followed by the subjunctive.
  • ojalá
  • con tal que
  • para que
  • acaso
  • quizá
  • tal vez
  • aunque (if the relevant action hasn't occurred yet)
  • a fin de que
  • a menos que
  • por más que
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