Methods & Theories for Teaching the Subjunctive in Spanish
- While Spanish language uses the subjunctive tense a lot, its tense is rarely employed as the main verb in a sentence. It is most commonly used in dependent clauses to negate or anticipate a state or event in the indicative. When introducing students to the concept of the Spanish subjunctive tense, it may be helpful to use one of the few English comparisons involving the third person singular (i.e., "We recommend that she come." or in Spanish, "Recomendamos que ella venga."). Be sure to note that in English, the translation is not perfect as the example sentence would normally be "We recommend that she comes."
- Introduce noun clauses as a way of teaching students to use the subjunctive tense in the Spanish language. Help them understand that a clause is a group of words used to express an idea and that contains a conjugated, finite verb. Remind them that a sentence may have one or more clauses and employ one or more dependent clauses, or none at all. Instruct them to expect that, while dependent clauses are typically indicative in English, dependent clauses are often subjunctive in Spanish. Teach them the rule, or theory, that in Spanish, the subjunctive mood is used for the dependent clause verb when the subject of the independent verb is different from the subject of the verb in the dependent clause, and the independent verb is one expressing influence, emotion, doubt or impersonal expression.
- Give the students examples of verbs that express influence or willing used in subjunctive sentences to help them learn to identify situations when the subjunctive tense should be used. Consider giving some of the following in which "querer" (to want), "insistir" (to insist) and "prohibir" (to prohibit) are employed as verbs that communicate willing and require that any dependent clauses they govern be expressed in the subjunctive tense:
"Queremos que lo cantes." (We want you to sing it.)
"Insistes en que lo hagamos." (Do you insist that we do it?)
"Se prohibe que entremeos." (It is forbidden for us to enter.) - Give the students examples of verbs that express emotions, such as the following verbs that require the subjunctive tense to be employed in their dependent clauses:
"Te gust que sea tan facil?" (Are you pleased its so easy?)
"Siento que ella no este aqui." (I'm sorry she's not here.)
"Tengo miedo de que no llegue." (I'm afraid she won't arrive.)
Create quizzes that require students to translate or create sentences using impersonal expressions, verbs of doubt or negation and verbs of emotion and influence with dependent clauses in the subjunctive tense.