Quick subjunctive question
Can the phrase "es importante destacar/señalar que" follow the subjunctive?
I'm wanting to say the phrase in the sentence, "It's important to point out that there is so much information bombarding our senses that we are not capable of processing it all"
10 Answers
I don't think so.
"Es importante que" can be completed with either a subjunctive or an infinitive. In this case, destacar/ señalar is used for that.
I think if you made the rest of it subjunctive you'd be opening it up to question as to whether or not there really is so much information bombarding us after all.
I'm not a native speaker and will happily receive corrections to my opinion.
I'm still learning about the subjunctive but I believe that an impersonal expression such as 'it's important' is followed by the infinitive when there's no change of subject and it doesn't need the 'que' which would cover your example:
Es importante señalar etc
Edit: If 'some'? impersonal expressions state the speakers positive belief then it's followed by the indicative when there is a change of subject. (see post below)
But other impersonal expressions can't be followed by the indicative - as Lazarus pointed out this would be incorrect - Es importante que Juan viene.
You do need to use the subjunctive if you're declaring something that hasn't happened yet or is contrary to the fact.
Es importante que lo haga. It's important for him to do it.
But as I said, I'm still learning too and it would be good to get a native speaker to weigh in 
The phrase "es importante..." is used to inform about your judgement, not the fact that follows (which is the grammatical subject of the sentence), so there is no declaration here. Therefore, you can only use infinitive or subjunctive; the former is used for general statements where no subject is mentioned, and the subjunctive when you want to refer to someone:
Es importante hacer las cosas bien
Es importante que hagas las cosas bien
However, within that subject that can be either an infinitive or a subjunctive, there can be another verb whose choice depends on the previous verb (and not the first one).
Declara lo que sabes [you know he knows something in particular]
Declara lo que sepas [you don't know what he knows, so it can be whatever]
Es importante declarar lo que sabes / Es importante que declares lo que sabes
Es importante declarar lo que sepas / Es importante que declares lo que sepas
In your case, you want to point out something, which is precisely what declarations do, so you'd normally use indicative:
Es importante destacar que hay mucha información
The subjunctive is definitely not used in this instance. 'Es importante destacar que...' - what comes after the 'que' is just a simple fact about what was important to mention and emphasize, so..just the plain old indicative here.
'Es importante destacar que esa no fue la razón por la que hice lo que hice, entiéndeme!' - No subjunctive here.
I don't know, that's just the first thing that popped in my head, haha.
'Mijo, es muy importante que cumplas tus promesas.' - Here the subjunctive is used. Hopefully the differences between the 2 sentences can be seen clearly enough.
-Charlius-
What a mess! The answer is: it depends on how your sentence will continue. I wouldn't recommend think of little structures as "triggers" for subjunctive, neither I would do to google that. It does not clarificate anything.
Your sentence:
Es importante señalar que hay tanta información bombardeando nuestros sentidos, que no somos capaces de procesarla en absoluto.
...takes clearly the indicative mood.
What a mess! The answer is: it depends on how your sentence continues. I wouldn't recommend thinking of little structures as "triggers" for the subjunctive, nor would I recommend using google to check since it doesn't clarify anything.
Your sentence:
. . .
clearly takes the indicative mood.
Hi olivia!
What a mess! The answer is; it depends on how your sentence continues. I wouldn't recommend thinking of little structures as "triggers" for the subjunctive, nor would I recommend using google to check since it does not clarify anything.
Your sentence:
Es importante señalar que hay tanta información bombardeando nuestros sentidos, que no somos capaces de procesarla en absoluto.
... clearly takes the indicative mood.
Considering that you can easily find examples of incorrect grammar in Spanish or English on the internet, providing such examples doesn't necessarily prove anything. The key thing is whether or not saying "it's important"/"es importante" is being used to introduce an opinion or a fact. . .both are possible.
In this case, you are stating an opinion (in my opinion):
Es importante destacar que (subjunctive clause) = Es importante que destaquemos (clause continues in the subjunctive)
Goyo is right I would say, in my view, based on what I know about the subjunctive that this not a subjunctive sentence....because it is making a statement of fact
the subjunctive mood is used for:
1 situations expressing:doubt
2 hypothetical situations
3 anticipated events
As always I am open to correction in this case/concerning this example 
More explicitly the subjunctive is used:
After a verb that expresses some kind of wish, insistence preference suggestion or request:
e.g. Quiero que María lo haga = I want Mary to do it.
After a verb that expresses doubt, fear, joy hoppe sorrow or some other emotion The subjunctive is not used in English in the following examples:
1 Dudo que Carlos lo haga = I doubt that Carlos is doing it
2 No creo que María venga = I don't believe (I doubt) Mary will come
3 Me alegro de que venga Lucía = I am pleased that Lucy is coming,
After certain impersonal expressions that show necesity, doubt, regret, importance urgency or possibility.eg:
1 Es importante que María venga = It's important that Maria comes
2 Es lástima que María no venga = It's apity that Maria isn't coming
(excerpt from 501 Spanish verbs by Christopher Kendris)
I hope this helps
Ok, I'll play devil's advocate and say the es importante que is a subjunctive trigger and is always followed by the subjunctive mood if there is a subordinate clause (a subject change where the verb infinitive is not used).
my evidence:
Here is a list of common impersonal expressions that introduce an aspect of uncertainty or subjectivity, and therefore trigger the use of the subjunctive.
.....
es importante que ...
it's important that ...
The following is a list of clauses commonly associated with the use of the subjunctive:
es importante que ...
it's important that ...
Below is a series of links to articles found by googling "es importante que". Notice that in all of them where there is also a subordinate clause (subject change) that the subjunctive mood is used.
The subjunctive is definitely not used in this instance. 'Es importante destacar que...' - what comes after the 'que' is just a simple fact about what was important to mention and emphasize, so..just the plain old indicative here.
I do not believe that the good old indicative is used here. The verb infinitive was used because there was no subject change or subordinate clause. I do agree that what comes after the que could be a simple fact. You are not, however, declaring that fact. You are stating a subjective personal evaluation of the fact. You say that it is important to point it out. What if I disagree and say that it is not important. These are just our personal opinions of the importance of the fact. The impersonal phrase es importante que is not one of doubt or certainty, but subjectivity .vs. objectivity. (Feliz77 you seemed to have omitted that from your list)
If you encounter a sentence with a main clause followed by a second clause, and the main clause introduces a quality of certainty or objectivity, the sentence will use the indicative mood in the second clause, since the sentence will be reporting something certain.
If you encounter a sentence with a main clause followed by a second clause, and the main clause does not introduce a quality of certainty or objectivity, the sentence will usually use the subjunctive mood in the second clause, since the sentence will not be reporting something certain.
So I'm proposing that es importante destacar que.... if folllowed by a subordinate clause will use the subjunctive mood in that clause. Not because of doubt or probability, but because I am just evaluating the clause saying that I think that it is important to point it out. It is my subjective opinion. Others may not agree with that evaluation.
Now I showed you some grammar articles saying es importante que is a trigger for the subjunctive and a list of sentences (links) all using the subjunctive in subordinate clauses after the impersonal phrase.
If you want to prove an opposing viewpoint, show me some grammar articles (not discussions telling people's personal opinions) and lists of sentences written by others that show the indicative mood being used in subordinate clauses after the impersonal phrase es importante que or es importante destacar/other verb que. I'm not saying you can't, but if I were from Missouri, I would simple say "show me" [don't tell me].
Remember, I am just challenging you to provide some citations for your opinions. Personally, I don't know enough about it to tell you that some of your answers seemed off the wall. So if you're right, just convince me.
@ Quentin
Well I can't seem to find anything on the net that would allow 'es importante que' to be followed by the indicative but I did find this in a grammar book that I've recently borrowed from the library.
It's not definitive as it doesn't use 'es importante que' as it's example but it does say this:
An impersonal expression that states a certainty or the speaker's positive belief is followed by the indicative when there is a change of subject.
Es verdad (no hay duda de, es seguro, es cierto) que está vivo.
It is true (there is no doubt, it is sure, certain) that he is alive.
But: ¿Es verdad que está vivo?
Is it true that he's alive? (I don't know, do you?)
¿Es verdad que esté vivo?
Is it true that he's alive? (I doubt it.)
Beginning Spanish, A Concept Approach 3rd Edition Zenia Sacks DaSilva, 1963, 1968, 1973
Now I don't know if this can be applied to 'es importante que' or not. From all the internet references I've looked at I'm starting to doubt that it can as it certainly seems to be used only with the subjunctive (or infinitive) but I just thought I'd put it out there
