Quick question about subjunctive

Question

Do you have to use the subjunctive after the word "si" in the following sentences?

¿Estarías enojado si lo hago (or haga)? Lo haré si me ayudas (or ayudes).

Answer 1

Ignore this please.

se dice "translator." - Deanski, Apr 15, 2011

Lol@Deanski hahaha - FELIZ77, Apr 15, 2011

Erickita please open a separate thread to ask your own question i :) This thread is to answer tincontro's question - FELIZ77, Apr 15, 2011

Erickita is a friend of mine she has just joined SD and this was her first attempt. - ian-hill, Apr 15, 2011

I couldn't help it, Feliz. But nice suggestion.:) - Deanski, Apr 15, 2011

She gets my vote! Welcome to SD! - Gocika, Apr 15, 2011

Thanks Gocika - she has now "switched off" - I will tell her about the vote. - ian-hill, Apr 15, 2011

Ian thats fine I was asking politely and respectfully :) - FELIZ77, Apr 15, 2011

Don't worry about that Feliz. - ian-hill, Apr 15, 2011

Answer 2

this may be the topic that Feliz is referring to

Whether the indicative of subjunctive is used with si sometimes depends on whether you are stating what will probably happen or whether the if clause is contrary-to-fact.

If I were rich (I am not), then I would.....

This paradigm take the subjunctive mood.

If you lend me your car I will run to the market.

This paradigm uses the indicative mood.

Si lo hiciera [the present subjunctive is not used in if clauses]...

If you wish to state the contrary-to-fact meaning (I have not done it)

Si lo hago...

If you just want to say what you would probably do.

Working backwards is often the wrong way to approach subjunctive/indicative (looking at the sentence and saying, should it be this or that?). It can often be either and you must decide which you want to use to express your meaning.

Thank you Quentin ...it wasn't what I had had in mind but useful nevertheless:) - FELIZ77, Apr 15, 2011

I was actually thinking of separate responses that You and Mariane had both written regarding the use of the subjunctive after ''if '' - FELIZ77, Apr 15, 2011

Sorry for making the assumption. - 0074b507, Apr 15, 2011

No Quentin, please don't apologise, there is no need :) I was simply pointing out what I had been thinking of in case you remembered having written it :) - FELIZ77, Apr 15, 2011

Answer 3

No ! From what I can remember about posts written by both Marianne and Qfreed I can remember them saying you do not need to use the subjunctive after the word si

Therefore I would say it should be:

¿Estarías enojado si lo hago? Lo haré si me ayudas (indicative not subjunctive)

If I can find this thread I will post a link here so you can see their responses

**I have found a response from Heidi indicating that you do not use the subjunctive with if sentences in the present ** link text

I would say that because of the significance of context I could be wrong on this point so please wait for confirmation before using either

I hope this helps

I am open to correction as always

What if it was in the past. "If I did it, would you be angry?" - ian-hill, Apr 15, 2011

In the past is no longer a conceiveable condition, so you change to subjunctive: ¿Te habrías enfadado si lo hubiera hecho? - lazarus1907, Apr 15, 2011

Thank you, Lazarus :) - FELIZ77, Apr 15, 2011

Yep - - ian-hill, Apr 15, 2011

Answer 4

Maybe the problem is that the question is in English a "mixed conditional" =

= simple present in the IF clause and modal plus verb in the main clause.

If I DO it. would you be angry. This would be bad English.