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Grammar Summary

Spanish-3 Unidad 3 Etapa 2

The Subjunctive with Nonexistent and Indefinite

When you want to say that something may not exist, you use the subjunctive:

No hay grupo de rap que me guste.    There is no rap group that I like.

Expressions that trigger this use of the subjunctive inlcude:

No hay...que There is no (thing) that
No hay nadie que There is nobody that
No hay nada que There is nothing that
No hay ningún/ninguna...que There is not any (thing) that

A related way to use the subjunctive is in subordinate clauses that are indefinite or uncertain:

Buscamos un grupo de rap que sepa tocar música.    We're looking for a rap group that knows how to play music.  (We don't know if there is such a group)

Words and expressions that trigger this use of the subjunctive include:

Buscar/Querer/Necesitar...que to Look for/Want/Need (some thing) that...
¿Hay algo/alguién que...? Is there something/someone that...?
¿Conoces a alguién que...? Do you know someone that...?
¿Tienes algo que...? Do you have something that...

The Subjunctive for Disagreement and Denial (Review)

Another way to use the subjunctive forms you have already learned is to express doubt or disagreement.  Here are some expressions you already know:

dudar que to doubt that
Es imposible que It's impossible that
Es improbable que It's improbable that
No creer/no pensar que To no believe/think that
No es cierto que It's not certain that
No es seguro que It's not for sure that
No es verdad que It's not true that
No estar seguro (de) que to not be sure that
no opinar que to not think (be of the opinion) that

Conditional Sentences

In Spanish, many sentences are composed of a si-clause (an if-clause) and a main clause. 

To predict a future result based on an initial action, use:   The present tense in the si-clause and the future in the main clause:

Present Future
Si vienes, lo pasarás bien
If you come, you will have a good time

Your friend might come to the party.  So here future (having a good time) will happen based on here initial action (coming to the party).

In order to say what things would be like if circumstances were different, you use:   The Imperfect Subjunctive in the si-clause and the conditional in the main clause:

Imperfect Subjunctive Conditional
Si vinieras, lo pasarías bien
If you came (could come) you would have a good time

In this second usage, you know that your friend is probably not coming to the party.   But if circumstances were different (if she did in fact come) you want her to know what it would be like (she'd have a good time).

In both of these cases, the order of the clauses can be switched:

Si vienes, lo pasarás bien   OR   Lo pasarás bien si vienes

Si vinieras, lo pasarías bien   OR  Lo pasarías bien si vinieras