Subjunctive Tenses

You already know when to use the indicative and when to use the subjunctive. Now look at which tense to use:

The subjunctive has four tenses: • present subjunctive (tenga, etc.) • present subjunctive (haya tenido, etc.) • subjunctive (tuviera, etc.) • past perfect (or ) subjunctive (hubiera tenido, etc.)

Remember that, generally speaking, the subjunctive is used in dependent clauses (clauses that follow a main clause after “que”). Which form of the subjunctive is used depends on the tense of the in the main clause, and the time relationship between the verb in the main clause and the subjunctive verb.

Although there are some exceptions, the following shows the most common ways in which the tenses are differentiated:

1) If main verb is in present or future, then other verb is present subjunctive or subjunctive.

If main verb is in present, future, present perfect, or imperative and the dependent (subjunctive) verb refers to action:

a) in the present or future, then you need to use present subjunctive.

Espero que comas. (I expect you to eat.)

b) in the past, then you need to use present perfect subjunctive.

Espero que hayas comido. (I expect you to have eaten.)

2) if main verb is in a past, then other verb must be imperfect subjunctive or past perfect subjunctive (pluperfect)

If main verb is in preterite, imperfect, past perfect, or conditional tense and the dependent (subjunctive) verb refers to an action

a) at the same time or in the future, then you need to use imperfect subjunctive.

Esperé que comieras. (I expected you to eat.)

b) in the past, then you need to use past perfect subjunctive (also called pluperfect subjunctive)

Esperé que hubieras comido. (I expected you to have eaten.)