Subjunctive Help

Question

How would you say, "It is probable that he will get an A" and "It is necessary for the students to study" in Spanish?

Answer 1

Hithere said:

I don't think the subjective is necessary for either sentence as it is no longer in use in the future tense and the second sentence doesn't have a verb to modify (other than the infinitive "estudiar").

You would not use the infinitive here because there is a change in subject from one clause to the next. The way that you originally put it would would translate to something along the lines of. "It is necessary that the students to study" or "It is necessary that the students studying."

I would try:

Es necesario que estudien los estudiantes estudiar.

Then how do you say it? - gbpack12, Dec 3, 2009

the blue text is what I have corrected and would think to be the best way to translate this - Izanoni1, Dec 3, 2009

Thank you! - gbpack12, Dec 3, 2009

Thanks, sorry for the error. - hithere3387, Dec 3, 2009

note that estudiar should be stricken out but for some reason the html did not work - Izanoni1, Jul 29, 2010

Answer 2

If we change the second sentence slightly in English it would be:

It is necessary that the students study.

That seems straight forward, but it should be subjunctive (which can't be identified here). If we're just talking about one student the "official, correct" English would be:

It is necessary that the student study.

That is the subjunctive in English, though not commonly used. When you can spot a subjunctive in English, you can be pretty certain that the Spanish will require subjunctive.

great point - Izanoni1, Dec 3, 2009

Answer 3

The future tense is not used with impersonal expressions-- I think the subjunctive is.

Answer 4

"It is probable that he will get an A"

Es probable que obtenga un A.

As gbpack says, the future tense would not be used here.

Answer 5

Es probable que (él) obtenga una "A"

Es necesario que los estudiantes estudien

All this using Present Subjunctive...

Answer 6

wrong answer