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Grammar Summary

Spanish-2 Unidad 4 Etapa 2

Subjunctive Stem Changes

You have already learned about present tense stem-changing verbs.  -AR and -ER verbs have the same stem change in subjunctive as they do in the present indicative.  For example, pensar (e-->ie) changes to yo pienso in the present indicative  tense and piensa in the subjunctive.  The only two forms that do not change are the nosotros and vosotros forms.  For -IR verbs in the subjunctive it is a little bit different. ALL the forms change, including nosotros and vosotros.  So for example, pedir (e-->i) would be nosotros pedimos in present indicative and nosotros pidamos in the subjunctive.

The e-->ie and o-->ue stem-changing -IR verbs you learned in the present indicative make the following changes in the subjunctive:

The Subjunctive and the Infinitive

When the first verb in a sentence expresses a hope or wish, you often put the second verb in the subjunctive, but only if the subject of the first verb is different from the subject of the second verb:  Quiero que me saques una foto.   I want that you take a picture of me.

When the subject of the second verb is the same as that of the second, leave the second verb in the infinitive:  Quiero sacar una foto.   I want to take a picture.  (The subject is the same, because I want and I am also taking the picture.)