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Imperfect subjunctive

The Imperfect Subjunctive: An Overview

The imperfect, or past, subjunctive is the simple past subjunctive in Spanish. It is subject to conditions similar to those governing the present subjunctive, i.e. it normally occurs in complex sentences with changes of subject and with appropriate verbs or conditions expressed or implied by the main verb in the independent clause.

If the verb in the main clause is in one of the past tenses or if it refers to the past, and if the subjunctive is required in the subordinate clause, the main verb will be expressed in the imperfect subjunctive.

The Imperfect Subjunctive: Formation

The endings of the imperfect subjunctive are the same for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. One simply adds the appropriate ending to the preterite tense verb stem to arrive at the proper form. There are no irregular endings, but there are numerous irregular stems. The stem to which the forms are added is the third person plural of the preterite tense, less the final -ron. To this stem add:

Singular

A second set of less commonly used endings is also available. They are:

Singular

Some examples of the imperfect subjunctive follow, as applied to both regular and irregular verbs:

Uses

All of the conditions that require the use of the present subjunctive (i.e. sentence structure, change of subject, and appropriate verb/conditions) apply to the use of the imperfect subjunctive. The primary difference in its use is governed by the logic of the sentence, also known as the "sequence of tenses." If all conditions for the use of the subjunctive are met in a sentence and the tense of the verb in the main clause is in the past (preterite, imperfect, pluperfect, or conditional), the imperfect subjunctive will follow.

The imperfect subjunctive can also follow a main clause containing a verb in the present if the reference is clearly to the past:

Other special uses

1. Clauses introduced by the word si (if) require the imperfect subjunctive or pluperfect subjunctive if the main clause contains the conditional or conditional perfect. In the following sentence structures the usual requirements for the use of the subjunctive do not apply.

2. The imperfect subjunctive always follows como si (as if).

3. The imperfect subjunctive is often used to soften a request or an assertion.

See also

"If" constructions
Imperfect indicative
Preterite
Present subjunctive
Verbs