Subjunctive or present?

Question

I am trying to say, "Have you noticed that the pain is worse at a specific time during the day?" I think the translation would be, "¿Ha notado usted que el dolor sea peor en un tiempo específico durante el día?" The word I am unclear about is "sea." Am I correct to use "sea peor" there or should it be "es peor" instead? I figured that since there is uncertainty about whether or not the pain is actually worse at a specific time, the correct tense would be the subjunctive. However, I am not entirely sure if this is correct reasoning.

Answer 1

It depends to whom you're interrogating.

If you're a doctor and you're talking with another doctor about a patient, you should use "es", thus:

• "¿Has notado que el dolor es peor a ciertas horas del día?"

All in modo indicativo.

But if you're interrogating a patient, you could formulate the question this way:

• ¿Ha notado usted que el dolor empeore a una hora específica del día?

In this case, "empeore" is in modo subjuntivo.

I'm learning English, so please correct me if I'm mistaken in this language.

Because of the way you have formulated the question, here is a tip: "Modo" isn't equal to "tiempo".

Modos in Spanish: Indicativo, subjuntivo e imperativo.

Tiempos: Pasado, presente y futuro.

It's also correct to say: ¿Ha notado usted que el dolor sea peor a una hora específica del día? - -cae-, Mar 18, 2012

Thanks a lot for your help caefuego! It sounds like I have to review the differences between moods and tenses, but I think I understand your explanation. - ADubz22, Mar 18, 2012

You're wellcome. I noticed that because you was wondering if choose between "Presente" and "Subjuntivo", which are diffent categories. - -cae-, Mar 18, 2012

@caefuego= Your English is fantastic! One thing I would change: "talking with other doctor" should be "talking with another doctor" and "to whom" instead of "whom" (whom isn't used very ofen in common speaking) - BradyLabuda, Mar 18, 2012

Thanks BradyLabuda, your tips are going to help to use these expressions, in fact those ones were some words which always have made me to doubt. - -cae-, Mar 18, 2012