Are these 4 subjunctive sentences correct?

Question

Espero que Mario llegue. I hope Mario arrives.

Espero que Mario llegara. I hope Mario arrived.

Espero que Mario haya llegado. I hope Mario has arrived.

Espero que Mario hubiera llegado. I hope Mario had arrived.

The last sentence, I wonder if the first verb espero should be past tense: Esperé que Mario hubiera llegado. I hoped that Mario had arrived.

Where did you get this dificult sentences? - 00769608, Dec 26, 2009

Answer 1

I have learned that the verb tenses have to match, present and past.

For example:

Espero que Mario llegue. I hope Mario arrives. Both present.

Esperaba que Mario llegara. I was hoping that (or hoped that) Mario arrived. Both past

Espero que Mario haya llegado. I hope Mario has arrived. Technically both present, although the haya llegado is perfect. You must use this construction whenever the indicative verb is in the present tense and the subjunctive verb is about something that happened in the past, even if it sounds a bit funny in English. Mario tomaba anoche. Espero que no haya chocado su carro. (Mario was drinking last night. I hope he didn't wreck his car.)

Esperaba que Mario hubiera llegado. I was hoping or hoped that Mario had arrived. Both past

However, for better symmetry it might be better to say: Había esperado que hubiera llegado Mario.

Also it might be better in all of these sentences to have Mario at the end, it would be common to see the subject at the end of the dependent clause, even though that's strange in English. Espero que llegue Mario, etc

Very well put, great explanation!! - sunshinzmommie, Dec 26, 2009

Mil gracias sunshinzmommy :) - 003487d6, Dec 26, 2009

I love your explanation, especially about the present perfect! Perfect! - kattya, Dec 26, 2009

Answer 2

Thank you Dandi, I appreciate the time and effort you've invested to answer my question. I studied the link you gave me and it actually left me more confused. I do understand the concept of present tense verb takes present tense subjunctive etc. (thank you) but this example given on the site doesn't make sense to me:

Dudaba que vinieran.
I doubted that they were coming [right then]. I doubted that they would come [in the future].

Isn't vinieran past tense? Doesn't it say "I doubted that they came." ?

Answer 3

Dudaba que vinieran. I doubted that they were coming [right then]. I doubted that they would come [in the future]. Isn't vinieran past tense? Doesn't it say "I doubted that they came." ?

Think of it as "I doubted (or was doubting) that they were coming or would come" At the time that you were doubting it, they had not yet come and you were doubting if they were on their way or if they were going to be coming. At the time, you were wondering about the future.

But if you want to say, "I doubted that they came." (i.e. At the time you were doubting if they had already come or not, something that happened in the past, before the time of your statement) Then you should say "Dudaba que hubieran venido."

Just like "Dudo que hayan venido." Here I am doubting, presently, that they had done something in the past.

Answer 4

link text

I found this site which explains it well and thoroughly.

Answer 5

hola

Answer 6

Espero que Mario hubiera llegado......

Espero que Mario haya llegado,

I think that the second sentence is better,not more correct just better.However, my editor is not here so, I am not sure.I hope someone makes correction if needed.

haber1 (conjugate?) v aux (en tiempos compuestos) to have; no habían llegado they hadn't arrived

Pocket Oxford Spanish Dictionary © 2005 Oxford University Press:

PS. I have decided not to describe any answers or entries as being wrong.

What does halla llegado mean? - sunshinzmommie, Dec 26, 2009

My mistake, No es halla sino haya - 00769608, Dec 26, 2009

halla is from the verb hallar meaning to find. - 00769608, Dec 26, 2009