Hubiera vs Habría vs haya in this instance.

Question

Hi all,

Hmmm, I´m still getting some of these practice questions wrong sometimes. I would appreciate it if someone could please comment on the below.

I wrote the following (which was just a fill in the blank requiring the correct form of olvidar including auxiliaries and then the correct form of pedir including any needed auxiliary) and got the olvidar part wrong.

No creo que a Miguel se le habría olvidado la cita. Si usted le hubiera pedido una cita, él me lo habría mencionado.

And then got it wrong again with.

No creo que a Miguel se le hubiera olvidado la cita. Si usted le hubiera pedido una cita, él me lo habría mencionado.

Apparently, it is supposed to be:

No creo que a Miguel se le haya olvidado la cita. Si usted le hubiera pedido una cita, él me lo habría mencionado.

I know I´m probably missing something obvious, and as such, would love to be steered straight here.

Then I got one more wrong, which I don´t quite get either (what else is new?)

I wrote ...

A menos que usted quisiera dejar un recado…

when it should have been ...

A menos que usted quiera dejar un recado…

How could I have known that?

Thanks for any help or comments.

Answer 1

si usted le hubiera pediedo is because you didn't do it, past hypothetical. ( I'm a fine one to help you with this!) el me lo habría mencionado ( clear would, he would have mentioned it).

Basically, stick with Kiwi, Rog, she explains better!

Thanks Annie. - rogspax, Dec 3, 2013

Answer 2

The general rule is, I believe, when you need to use the subjuntive, if the governing verb is in the present tense then you usually follow it with the subjunctive in the present tense but if the governing verb is in a past tense (this includes the conditional tense) then you follow it with the subjunctive in a past tense.

No creo que (present) que haya ....

No creía que (past) que hubiera ...

But as with all rules, there will be exceptions and it is possible sometimes to use the present subjunctive after say a preterite verb clause.

As for your 'a menos que' example, 'unless you want to leave a message' seems the most likely translation making the action future/anticipated - hence the present subjunctive.

: ) there you go, old witch, well done! - annierats, Dec 2, 2013

hey enough of the 'old' thankyou :P - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 3, 2013

Thanks sweet young thing. - rogspax, Dec 3, 2013

Jaja that's much nicer, gracias señor :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 3, 2013