use of past subjunctive

Question

Would one of these sentences be correct, if I wanted to say: I entered to see if there was anyone with who I could talk with.

Entré para ver si habría alguien con quien pudiera hablar.

Entré para ver si había alguien con quien pude hablar.

Good question! =) I am still wondering. - NikkiLR, Mar 5, 2012

Answer 1

Entrè para ver si habìa alguien con quien pudiera conversar.

Answer 2

NikkiRivera's and luisssito's choices are the correct ones:

Entré para ver si había alguien con quien pudiera/pudiese hablar/conversar/platicar. Preterite, imperfect, past subjunctive, infinitive.

Thank You. - gringojrf, Mar 5, 2012

Oh... good. =) Thanks - NikkiLR, Mar 5, 2012

Answer 3

I pick a mix of the two...(this is just my guess)

Entré para ver si había alguien con quien pudiera hablar.

So you pick haber in the imperfect over the conditional. If I was saying it in English I would say.."I entered to see if there might be someone who I could talk with. I know the ending with "with" is bad grammar. - gringojrf, Mar 5, 2012

So could it be haber in the subjunctive and poder in the past indicative? Entré para ver si haya alguien con quien puse hablar. - gringojrf, Mar 5, 2012

I hate the subjunctive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - gringojrf, Mar 5, 2012

Well, this one sounded good to me... but who knows, I am not a native. In English I would say... "I entered to see if there was someone" - NikkiLR, Mar 5, 2012

Ah, didn't see your other comments until I refreshed... I really don't know... sorry! :( - NikkiLR, Mar 5, 2012

Answer 4

Hi, Zigga. Welcome to the forum.

We'll wait for someone more advanced to answer your question regarding the Spanish, however, here are a few minor changes to your English sentence:

I entered to see if there was anyone with whom I could speak.

While the grammar used was technically incorrect it is a very common way of saying it. After all who really uses "whom"? - gringojrf, Mar 5, 2012

I do! =D - NikkiLR, Mar 5, 2012

Well, I try to... hehe... I have bad habits! - NikkiLR, Mar 5, 2012

Wow, really Nikki? I'm impressed. - gringojrf, Mar 5, 2012

Yeah.. I also use "shall" at time... Which is not very common in the US... jeje. - NikkiLR, Mar 5, 2012

But yeah, I really try to kick all of my bad habits... I go to grammar-monster.com every now and then. :) - NikkiLR, Mar 5, 2012

Wow...I'm surprised by your comment, Gringo. I use "whom" when appropriate, but then again, I'm a lawyer (and who wants to sound like one of those? Jejeje) - --Mariana--, Mar 5, 2012

I can't think of a single person I know that uses whom. And I know many lawyers and CEOs. - gringojrf, Mar 5, 2012

Being lawyers and CEOs per se signifies very little in this respect. I'm a mere administrator and I use whom all the time, esp on the phone, "Whom am I speaking to, please?" - Pibosan, Mar 5, 2012

Answer 5

Thank you guys!

Answer 6

This has got me all tangled up.

In English:

• I entered to see if there was anyone that I could talk with. (Past/Past)
• I entered to see if there might be anyone that I could talk with. (Subj/Past)
• I entered to see if there would be anyone that I could talk with. (Cond/Past)
• I entered to see if there was anyone that I might talk with. (Past/Subj)
• I entered to see if there might be anyone that I might talk with. (Subj/Subj)
• I entered to see if there would be anyone that I might talk with. (Cond/Subj)

To me, all of the above work in English. So it seems that there must be several acceptable ways to say it in Spanish. Given my admittedly weak understanding of the subjunctive I guess am really confused.

I entered to see = preterite if there was anyone = its not a certainty so Subjunctive? that I could talk with = again not a certainty, but if there was someone there, then the talking becomes a certainty so I am thinking that the subjunctive may or may not go here.

What a mess!

My last attempt:

Entré para ver si hubiera alguien con quien podría hablar.

Why are you using the future subjunctive there in your last attempt? - FigueroaGaray33, Mar 5, 2012

typo - gringojrf, Mar 5, 2012

Answer 7

Ziggy said: Entré para ver si habría alguien con quien pudiera hablar.

I pick this one. Which given my understanding of the subjunctive probably means it is wrong. But I still think it sounds the best.