Help with subjunctive!

Question

I'll get straight to the point:

If you say "no se piensa que..." does it need to be followed by the subjunctive?

Por ejemplo:

No se piensa que sea posible/One does not think it could be possible

So subjunctive or indicative?

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Also, on another note, can you follow "no se piensa que" with a verb in the conditional + infinitive?

Ejemplo:

No se piensa que podría ocurrir/One does not think it could occur

Muchas gracias

Good question! A native speaker will be along to answer better than I could. - rac1, May 8, 2012

Answer 1

No se piensa que sea posible- Right. (It is not thought that it is [might be] possible.)

No se piensa que podría ocurrir- I would say "No se piensa que pueda ocurrir." The way I think about it is if [might] can be fit before the verb in the second clause, use subjunctive instead of the conditional.

No se piensa que pueda ocurrir- (It is not thought that it [might be able to] can happen.)

The same applies for imperfect subjunctive.

I was hoping that you would call me.

"Esperaba que me llamaras." -I was hoping that you [might] call me.

Answer 2

Uno no piensa que sea posible...

Uno no pensaba que pasara

Answer 3

Although this question has been answered pretty well, there is something to keep in mind. The conditional tense is a past tense, so in this case you can eliminate its use. if you have a verb in the present tense in the first clause, you should also have a verb conjugated in a present tense form in the second clause, at least according to the sequence of tenses. However, it is worth noting that in real life usage these tenses are often mixed. Like any other language, grammatical "rules" don't always apply.