subjuntive

Question

I choose "te visites", but the answer is "te visitas". Porque...

Después de que (te vistes, te vistas) quiero salir para la unversidad.

Answer 1

The simplest answer is that the phrase "Después de que + verb" always (I can't think of a situation off the top of my head where it wouldn't) takes a subjunctive. The same goes with the phrase "Antes de que + verb" (Before one does something) will always take a subjunctive. A real life example for you: I taught Survival English to Latinos and also worked with the kids sometimes. The instructor for the children (who is from Mexico), once said to the kids, who were about to start running: "Chicos, Antes de que corran".

The more formal explanation of the grammar comes down to this fact: subjunctive, as you may already know, expresses doubt/uncertainity/non-factual statements/anticipated outcomes/etc. In the case of many time related phrases, it can be used to express an action which is anticipated to happen, that is to say a non-factual occurrence, but has not ACTUALLY happened yet.

I hope this helps! Please feel free to ask more questions, this is the kind of stuff I love talking about!

So I chose the right answer? Or te visites is not subjunctive? - lht14, Mar 14, 2013

Excellent answer! - --Mariana--, Mar 14, 2013

Admirable, rocoso. - annierats, Mar 14, 2013

No, you were not correct, "te vistas" is correct. Remember, to form the subjunctive one must take the present indicative "yo-form" of the verb, and then put on the verb endings of the "opposite" verb type. I.E. An "-AR" class of verb should take on... - Rocoso, Mar 15, 2013

the "-IR" verb class endings. As another answer said, feel free to use the conjugate tool here, or ask me more questions via PM, I'd love to help! I'm a grammar nut, ha ha. - Rocoso, Mar 15, 2013

Answer 2

Plug 'vestir' into 'Conjugate' and check for yourself. The subjunctive conjugation for -er and -ir verbs is -a. -as. -a, -amos, -áis, -an.

Answer 3

Pay attention to the verb itself, you seem to be typing a different verb

Yes, and that´s what makes Roscos answer especially great. It covers how to figure out and why, without even touching on the verb itself, which is ambiguous in this case (which is probably the original poster´s real problem)

I agree. - annierats, Mar 14, 2013

Answer 4

Pay attention to the verb itself, you seem to be typing a different verb quite consistently: it's te vistes/te vistas and not visites. Some of the confusion might stem from the fact that vestir is an -ir verb (so "a" in the subj.) and visitar (the verb you're typing) is an -ar verb (so "e" in the subj.).

Answer 5

I am sorry people, I made a mistake in the very beginning. It should be "te vistes/vistas". And I always thought it was VISITAR. Now I look back to the exercise and found that I was wrong and it makes me realize why the answer ended with "-as".

btw.. The meaning of the sentence = After you get dressed, I want to leave for the university. (that's little bit funny.)

Agreed, the sentence is quite comical. - Rocoso, Mar 15, 2013

Yay for solving the issue and the sentence is definitely rather comical :) - Manity, Mar 15, 2013

Answer 6

So I chose the right answer? Or te visites is not subjunctive?