Archive for the ‘Free Lessons’ Category
Difference between YA & TODAVIA?
Ya – already, anymore (and some more, like “yes”, “now” but that’s another thing)
Todavía/aún – still, yet
-Ya no me quiere – He doesn’t love me anymore
-¿Has ido ya a comprar? – Have you already done the shopping?
-¿Todavía/Aún estás buscándolo? -You’re still looking for it?
-Si todavía/aún no lo has hecho no te dará tiempo or No te dará tiempo si no lo has hecho ya/aún. If you haven’t finished it yet, you won’t be in time.
Another way to think of “ya vs. todavía” is to think of it as follows:
“Ya” in it’s positive form = “Already.”
“Ya + no” = “Not anymore” or “No longer.”
“Todavía” in it’s positive form = “Still.”
“Todavía + no” = “Not yet.”
We DO NOT use subjunctive to express facts, beliefs, truth, certainties or the obvious.
While conjugating verbs into the Subjunctive form is not too difficult, it is deciding when and where to use the Subjunctive that gets a little complicated. We will look at it slowly and determine the rules for its use in stages.
We use the Imperfect Subjunctive when referring to events or
ideas that did not, cannot and will not happen.
The Imperfect Subjunctive uses the 3-part formula just as the Present Subjunctive does. Each one of these three components MUST be in place.
When to use what subjunctive in Spanish
(The sequence of tenses / la concordancia de tiempos)
Before starting, you should be familiar with the following terms:
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“Governing verb” refers to the verb which causes the subjunctive
to be used (for noun clauses, e.g., Quiero que vengas) or the
verb which determines the time of the action (present, past, future) in the
accompanying subordinate clause.
With a governing verb in a “present time” tense use only a “present time” tense of the subjunctive; with a governing verb in a “past time” tense, use only a “past time” subjunctive. In either case the simple subjunctive tense is used to express a simultaneous or future action, and the perfect tense is used to indicate a previous activity.
Si Clauses – Spanish If-Then Clauses: Unlikely or Currently Contrary Situations
Spanish si clauses, also known as conditionals or conditional sentences, are
used to express what could happen if some condition is met. There are three
different kinds of si clauses. In this lesson, we’ll look at the second most common
type of si clause: unlikely or currently contrary situations. I call these
“currently contrary” because the situation described is not currently
true. But if the situation changed, the result clause would be able
to occur.
Si Clauses – Spanish If-Then Clauses: Possible or Likely Situations
Spanish si clauses, also known as conditionals or conditional sentences, are
used to express what could happen if some condition is met. There are three
different kinds of si clauses. In this lesson, we’ll look at the most common
type of si clause: possible or likely situations.
Si Clauses – Spanish If-Then Clauses: Impossible Situations
Spanish si clauses, also known as conditionals or conditional sentences, are used to express what could happen if some condition is met. There are three different kinds of si clauses. In this lesson, we’ll look at the least common type of si clause: impossible situations. This construction is used when referring to something that would have happened if some condition had been met. Since the condition was not met, the result clause is impossible.
Understanding When to Use the Spanish Pluperfect Subjunctive
Because Spanish uses the pluperfect subjunctive more than English does, you may wonder just when you’re supposed to use it instead of other verb tenses. Keep reading for an explanation of when to use the pluperfect subjunctive versus the pluperfect and the present perfect subjunctive.
