12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

ANTE TODO You will now learn how to use the subjunctive with verbs

and expressions of will and influence.

Quiero que tengas dientes más blancos.

Verbs of will and influence are often used when someone wants to affect the actions or behavior of other people. What the person wants to influence may or may not actually happen.

Enrique quiere que salgamos a cenar.Enrique wants us to go out to dinner. (English)

Enrique wants that we go out to dinner. (Spanish)

Es necesario que cenemos en casa. It is necessary for us to have dinner at home. (English) It is necessary that we have dinner at home. (Spanish)

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

Some impersonal expressions, such as es necesario (que), es importante (que), es mejor (que), and es urgente (que), are considered expressions of will or influence.

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

Verbs of will and influence * (often used with indirect object pronouns)

*aconsejar to advise preferir (e:ie) to prefer

desear to wish; to desire *prohibir to prohibit

*importar to be important; to matter querer (e:ie) to want

insistir (en) to insist (on)*recomendar

(e:ie)to recommend

*mandar to order *rogar (o:ue) to beg; to plead

necesitar to need *sugerir (e:ie) to suggest

*pedir (e:i) to ask (for)

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

The infinitive is used with words or expressions of will and influence, if there is no change of subject in the sentence.

No quiero sacudir los muebles.I don’t want to dust the furniture.

Paco prefiere descansar.Paco prefers to rest.

Es importante sacar la basura.It’s important to take out the trash.

No es necesario quitar la mesa.It’s not necessary to clear the table.

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

¡ATENCIÓN!

In English, constructions using the infinitive, such as I want you to go, are often used with verbs or expressions of will or influence. This is not the case in Spanish, where the subjunctive would be used in a subordinate clause.

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

When the main clause contains an expression of will or influence, the subjunctive is required in the subordinate clause, provided that the two clauses have different subjects.

MAIN CLAUSE CONNECTOR SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

Mi mamá prefiere que yo saque la basura.

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

que + subjunctive is required if:

- the verb in the first clause is a verb of will or influence

AND

- the subject in the second clause is different from the subject in the first clause.

S1 + (verb of will indicative) + que + S2 + (verb subjunctive)

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

I want to study. I want to study

Yo quiero estudiar.

I want him to study. I want that change him to “he” use subjunctive for

study to agree with “he”

Quiero que él estudie.

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

It is important to study.

Es importante estudiar

Es importante estudiar.

It is important for him to study.

Es importante Change “for” to “that.”

(que) Change “him” to “he.” Change the infinitive

to the subjunctive to agree with él.

Es importante que él estudie.

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

Indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les) are often used with the verbs aconsejar, importar, mandar, pedir, prohibir, recomendar, rogar, and sugerir. Although these object pronouns appear in the first clause, they indicate the subject of the second clause.

Te aconsejo que estudies.I advise you to study.

Le sugiero que vaya a casa.I suggest that he go home.

Les recomiendo que barran el suelo.I recommend that you sweep the floor.

Le ruego que no venga.I beg him not to come.

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

Use of object pronouns in English triggers the use of the infinitive or the gerund in English.

me = to/for me te = to/for you le = to/for you, him, her nos = to/for us os = to/for you all les = to/for you all, them It is important for him to

study. She prohibits me from

leaving.

Use of indirect object pronouns in the first clause, in Spanish triggers the use of the subjunctive in Spanish after “que”

me = that I te = that you le = that you, he, she nos = that we os = that you all les = that you all, that they Es importante que él

estudie. Me prohíbe que yo salga.

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

Note that all the forms of prohibir in the present tense carry a written accent, except for the nosotros form:

prohíbo prohibimosprohíbes prohibísprohíbe prohíben

Ella les prohíbe que miren la televisión.She prohibits them from watching television. (English)

She prohibits that they watch television. (Spanish)

Nos prohíben que nademos en la piscina.They prohibit that we swim in the swimming pool. (Spanish)

They prohibit us from swimming in the swimming pool. (English)

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

1. Te sugiero que ______ (ir) con ella al supermercado.

vayas

2. Él necesita que yo le ______ (prestar) dinero.

preste

3. No queremos que tú ______ (hacer) nada especial para nosotros.

hagas

4. Mis papás quieren que yo ______ (limpiar) mi cuarto.

limpie

¡INTÉNTALO! Completa cada oración con la forma correcta del verbo entre paréntesis.

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

5. Nos piden que la _____ (ayudar) a preparar la comida.

ayudemos

6. Quieren que tú ______ (sacar) la basura todos los días.

saques

7. Quiero ______ (descansar) esta noche.

descansar

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

8. Es importante que ustedes ______ (limpiar) los estantes.

limpien

9. Su tía les manda que ______ (poner) la mesa.

pongan

10. Te aconsejo que no ______ (salir) con él.

salgas

11. Mi tío insiste en que mi prima ______ (hacer) la cama.

haga

12.4 Subjunctive with verbs of will and influence

12. Prefiero ______ (ir) al cine.

ir

13. Es necesario ______ (estudiar).

estudiar

14. Recomiendo que ustedes ____ (pasar) la aspiradora.

pasen