"Agradezco que hicieras una tarta de queso."
In the video for lesson 3.11, Paralee says that we use the Imperfect Subjunctive for things that didn't happen, but could have. Right after that, at about 12:00 into the video, she gives an example.
"Agradezco que hicieras una tarta de queso."
Which she translates as
"I'm glad you made a cheese cake."
That doesn't sound like something that might have happened, but didn't. That sounds like something that did happen.
Could someone clarify, please?
video at: http://www.spanishdict.com/learn/show/82
4 Answers
"Agradezco que hicieras una tarta de queso."
Which she translates as
"I'm glad you made a cheese cake."
Good job, Jason, I am calling Paralee to this thread, your observation is correct.
Couldn't this mean
"I am grateful that you were making a cheesecake." (but didn't because we canceled the bake sell.)
No. In that sentence, the cake was definitely made for you. The problem is that with many non-declarations, a lot of new facts are assumed to be truth, even though they were mentioned only for the sake of giving your opinion (as in "I am grateful that...).
"Agradezco que hicieras una tarta de queso."
Doesn't agradezo mean " I am grateful" or I am thankful"?
Couldn't this mean
"I am grateful that you were making a cheesecake." (but didn't because we canceled the bake sell.)
Paralee says that we use the Imperfect Subjunctive for things that didn't happen, but could have.
Not really. Imperfect subjunctive can be used for that, but it is also used for many other things.
It is like saying that a hammer can be used as a self defense tool. Surely you can use it like that, but doesn't mean that a hammer can only be used as a defense tool, or that the only way to defend yourself is using a hammer. Suddenly you see someone using a hammer to nail something and you say "Hey, wasn't the hammer a self defence tool? Why are they using it with nails then?". You are told that "we use hammers as defence tools", instead of saying that a hammer COULD be used as a defence tool, among other things, but there are other things that can be used as a defense tool.
These are typical mistakes that people who are not used to differentiate between cause and effect, and necessary and sufficient conditions make. It is also a typical mistake when people do not explain grammatical features in terms of operativity, but in terms of specific uses that do not define what they are.
Imperfect subjunctive is exactly like an imperfect indicative, but without declaring anything. This, of course, is utterly useless if you don't really understand the imperfect and what a declaration is, but I can tell you that you can use imperfect subjunctive with things that did happen.
