Would I use subjunctive if I'm referring to a fact?
I got a bad mark on a test, and I'm trying to say that I can't believe I received that mark. I said, "No puedo creer que recibí...", however I realized that I left "recibir" in the indicative form. Is this correct because it is a fact that I received that mark? Or should "recibir" be in the subjunctive because I started with "No puedo creer que..."?
Recibí una mala nota en un examen, y estoy tratando a decir que no puedo creerlo. Dije, "No puedo creer que recibí...", pero me di cuenta de que dejé "recibir" en el indicativo. ¿Es esto correcto porque es un hecho que recibí esa nota? ¿O debe ser "recibir" en el subjuntivo porque empecé con "No puedo creer que..."?
Muchas gracias. 
¡Y lo siento si he cometido errores en mi español!
6 Answers
To help you understand whether you could use the subjunctive with a factual subordinate clause I think that you only need to look at the impersonal exprressions that may use the subjunctive. They are often used with real facts.
To utilize a bit of hyperbolie.... Es dudoso que dos más dos sean cuatro.
2+2=4 is a real fact (in normal mathematics.) The fact that I am ignorant enough to doubt it does not make the fact unreal.
Another way to look at this is, whether or not you are informing your audience about or declaring the subordinate clause. If so, then use the indicative. If you aren't informing us about the subordinate clause, but merely expressing your subjective reaction to it then use the subjunctive.
The unreal/real nature of the subordinate clause is in the view of the speaker. He may be misinformed or ignorant of the true reality of the situation.
Después de leer esta explicación, entenderás la respuesta.
(How could I know that you were run over by a bus shortly after posting your question and that your understanding the answer was an ureal situation? To me it was a real or probable fact)
I would use present subjunctive, because you are expressing how do you feel about an action:
No puedo creer que (yo) haya recibido una mala nota.
Or the imperfect subjunctive:
No puedo creer que (yo) recibiera una mala nota.
As I always say, indicative is used when you want to purposefully communicate your thoughts about something, and subjunctive when you don't. Whatever follows "No puedo creer que.." is not a statement intended to inform others about something you think, but a phrase mentioned just for the purpose of expressing your surprise (which is in indicative!), so it makes perfect sense that subjunctive is used here after "que".
My thoughts:
No puedo creer que recibí...
Think about the semantic logic of these two clauses. In the first you have:
?No puedo creer algo ? I can't believe something (to be true/factual).
In other words, the speakers perception of reality does not allow that "something" to be considered true or real. Juxtapose this with the following statement:
?Recibí Me saqué una mala nota ? I received a bad grade.
Here you are making a declaration; that is, you are recognizing the truth or veracity of your statement. So on a purely logical level, it appears that you are setting up a sort of paradoxical condition by basically saying:
?I cannot recognize something to be true that I recognize to be true
If you were really trying to say that you can't believe something to be true, then you wouldn't declare it (i.e. use the indicative) in your dependent clause:
?No puedo creer que sacara una mala nota. ? I am not able to believe that I might have received a bad grade (i.e. I am not able to believe that this might have actually happened).
If on the other hand you were just using it as an expression, a more accurate translation might be something along the lines of:
?Me sorprende mucho el hecho de que saqué una mala nota. ? It really surprises me, the fact that I received a bad grade.
Sometimes what's said in the subjunctive mood is a fact but what is important is how you feel about it not whether it is actually a fact or not.
One important thing to remember is that the subjunctive is most commonly used in subordinate clauses 'where there is a change of subject'. If there is no change of subject you usually use the infinitive.
In your example there was no change of subject you couldn't believe it and you received it - so my guess, and this is a complete guess would be - no puedo creer haber recibido ....
But as always waiting for a native to weigh in is a gr8 idea
Here's a couple of quotes which you may find helpful re the subjunctive:
“The basic function of the subjunctive is not to make statements of fact, but either (a) to show that the speaker is reacting emotionally in some way to the event referred to or (b) that the event mentioned in a subordinate clause is still not a reality.” —Oxford Spanish Grammar1
Verbs of doubt and negation require the subjunctive in subordinate clauses; examples include negar (to deny), dudar (to doubt), no ser verdad (to not be true/the truth), no estar cierto/seguro (to be unsure, uncertain), no creer (to not believe), etc. Remember that expressions of certainty or belief take the indicative: no negar (to not deny), no dudar (to not doubt), afirmar (to affirm), creer (to believe), estar cierto/seguro (to be sure, certain), etc.
Dudamos que salgan bien. We doubt they'll do well.
No creo que asistan a la clase. I don't think they attend class.
Niegas que yo pueda hacerlo? Do you deny that I can do it?
No estoy segura de que venga. I'm not sure she's coming.
"I cannot believe I received that mark."
Is that factual or hypothetical?
Does it indicate influence?
These are the questions to ask yourself.
It is not hypothetical, because it is factual that you received that mark.
Is it influence? No, it cannot be, because there's only one subject, "I", for both clauses.
While I'm not the final expert on this matter, I would use indicative here.
