Help With Subjunctive Usage!
I know the conjugations and rules and all that stuff. There's just one thing that I've been confused about (probably because I'm comparing it to English too much). I was taught that the present subjunctive is used with the present and future tense verbs, and the past subjunctive is used with the imperfect, preterit, and conditional tenses. This confuses me because in English, we can use them interchangeably. Are there any exceptions in Spanish? Like in English, we can say, "I hope he brings his keys" or "I hope he brought his keys." Another example, "I wish I lived in a bigger house." Lived is in the past tense. I just want to know exactly what it is that I'm not getting, it's been bothering me for a while now.
1 Answer
Learn all about the subjunctive here.
As far as your examples goes:
"I hope he brings his keys" or
"I hope he brought his keys."
"I wish I lived in a bigger house."
Espero que traiga las llaves (subjunctive, correct usage). He has not arrived with his keys, so you are using the subjunctive to express a hope or desire.
Espero que trajo las llaves (indicative, you will hear it a lot but it's not correct). I would say: Espero que haya traido sus llaves. He has already arrived, so you are wondering whether or not he brought his keys with him.
Ojalá viviera en una casa más grande (Ojalá means I wish and it is usually followed by the subjunctive. In this case you need the past subjunctive because the tense you are using in English is also the past).
I hope this helps! (pardon the pun) 
