El modo subjuntivo

[chileno]

Es lamentable que no le dijo a su familia! -> "Dijo" is simple past, so you have to change it for perfect preterite to fit in (HINT: with "haya").

Angélica, si se puede decir así. Pero ¿Qué pasó con el subjuntivo de decir? ;-)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Hernán: traté de mantener el tiempo verbal en que Chicadejeep lo expresó, pero sí, se puede con subjuntivo simple.
En cuanto a "dijo", llámame quisquillosa, pero no me acaba de gustar.

[chileno]

Escrito originalmente por AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Hernán: traté de mantener el tiempo verbal en que Chicadejeep lo expresó, pero sí, se puede con subjuntivo simple.
En cuanto a "dijo", llámame quisquillosa, pero no me acaba de gustar.

Ya te tupiste.... dijera, ¿no?

[ChicadeJeep]

Escrito originalmente por AngelicaDeAlquezar

A part of the new mistakes are my fault: I didn't explain well what I meant in each marked sentence with "this is not subjunctive".

I suggest that you work in actually recognizing when conjugation is subjunctive and when it is another tense.
And I'll make some more specific comments on the sentences that cannot be expressed with a subjunctive.


¡Eso no es bueno! -> Right sentence, but "es" is simple present and you cannot change it to subjunctive, because this expression does not allow it.
¡Es lamentable que no le dijo a su familia! -> "Dijo" is simple past, so you have to change it for perfect preterite to fit in (HINT: with "haya").

¡Esperemos que Carlos puede explicar lo que pasó! -> You could still use this sentence, but "puede" is simple present, so it has to be replaced by subjunctive.
¡No es cierto que engañó a su familia! -> "engañó" is simple past, so it has to be changed for perfect preterite to fit the sentence (HINT: one more with "haya")

¡Qué bueno que debería ser! -> Wrong sentence. "Deber" doesn't match "¡qué bueno!", because exclamation rejoices and "deber" commands. You could have said "¡qué bueno sería!". But, when built like this, the sentence does not allow a subjunctive, which is your exercise here, so you could say "¡Qué bueno que sea así!".
¡Es fácil que ella sea contento! -> Subjunctive would be right, but "ser" doesn't match "contento". The right verb is "estar". And when "contento" ends with an "o", it's a masculin so here there has to be a correspondence with "ella", which is a feminin. "Sea contento" must be replaced by subjunctive of "estar" and the gender correspondence in "contento".

¡Eso espero! -> "Espero" is present tense. This sentence was right, but does not accept a subjunctive.
¡Esperemos que se recupere! (Fantastic!)


I hope I didn't make it more confusing.

Estoy muy confundido ahora!
Los tiempos y conjugación no es mi fuerza.

I get utterly confused when it comes to mixing conjugations and tenses ... meshing them I guess. I can't even explain myself!

(my range of emotions while thinking of this!!!)

I constantly forget about masculino y femenino forms, also the le la el los etc before words, then when it comes to a certain tense matching mood or conjugation based on tense or verbs or whatever ... it blows my mind!

I guess this means I have a LOT more studying to do!

Thank you so much for your help Angelica - I will keep working on those and come back with what I can figure out again.

[chileno]

Escrito originalmente por ChicadeJeep

Estoy muy confundido ahora!
Los tiempos y conjugación no es mi fuerza.

I get utterly confused when it comes to mixing conjugations and tenses ... meshing them I guess. I can't even explain myself!

(my range of emotions while thinking of this!!!)

I constantly forget about masculino y femenino forms, also the le la el los etc before words, then when it comes to a certain tense matching mood or conjugation based on tense or verbs or whatever ... it blows my mind!

I guess this means I have a LOT more studying to do!

Thank you so much for your help Angelica - I will keep working on those and come back with what I can figure out again.

That's why I recommend people to transcribe a novel as they translate it to English, so your mind gets accustomed through your wrists and eyes.

Meanwhile if you get to watch movies in Spanish, no subtitles, even though at first you won't understand much other than what through the action you might surmise so in that way your mind also gets accustomed through your ears. Eventually your mind starts to get it and your conscience starts to act upon that.

[ChicadeJeep]

Escrito originalmente por chileno

That's why I recommend people to transcribe a novel as they translate it to English, so your mind gets accustomed through your wrists and eyes.

Meanwhile if you get to watch movies in Spanish, no subtitles, even though at first you won't understand much other than what through the action you might surmise so in that way your mind also gets accustomed through your ears. Eventually your mind starts to get it and your conscience starts to act upon that.

Wow! Chileno - that is a great idea! Thank you!
Do you have any recommendations for books or movies? Perhaps I will take a trip to the movie store and library tomorrow!

[chileno]

Escrito originalmente por ChicadeJeep

Wow! Chileno - that is a great idea! Thank you!
Do you have any recommendations for books or movies? Perhaps I will take a trip to the movie store and library tomorrow!

Just something that you like, a novel and not a theme like history, but history made story. Ideally a novel that you already have read in English and that has been translated to Spanish. Now if you get one of those novel that are also narrated, you are on your way to glory, because it wil help you also to compare your recorded voice of the novel you are reading/translating to English against the narrated novel supposedly narrated by a native. :-)

It is hard to do, because you don't have the usual support system and a "teacher" supposedly taking you by the hand. It is you, your intelligence and your determination to do what you have to do.

And then you have, practically, the rest of the world to help you. (read : your work, the guy next door, the store clerk, the internet and us)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@ChicadeJeep: Don't despair. Breathe deeply, gather patience and take time for working on it. You'll understand little by little.

[ChicadeJeep]

Thank you AngelicaDeAlquezar - I find myself becoming frantic and impatient as I feel that I am not as far along as I should be. This is my second course and I should be comfortable having a conversation where I can discuss anything from family to work, as well as being able to write fairly detailed paragraphs in past, future, and present tense ... the list goes on of what I should be able to do, but the list is short of what I can do.

Thank you all for being patient with me and helping me.

(Plus we are moving soon - so I am dealing with 3 University courses, final exams, and packing my home!)

[chileno]

Escrito originalmente por ChicadeJeep

Thank you AngelicaDeAlquezar - I find myself becoming frantic and impatient as I feel that I am not as far along as I should be. This is my second course and I should be comfortable having a conversation where I can discuss anything from family to work, as well as being able to write fairly detailed paragraphs in past, future, and present tense ... the list goes on of what I should be able to do, but the list is short of what I can do.

Thank you all for being patient with me and helping me.

(Plus we are moving soon - so I am dealing with 3 University courses, final exams, and packing my home!)

That's why you should do what I am telling you. Besides of what you are already doing.