Subjunctive in question?
What would be the correct from as a question?
-escribes muchas cartas para (alguien)?
-escribas muchas cartas para...?
1 Answer
Hello Norsh
Welcome to the SpanishDict forum 
You asked:
Subjunctive in question? What would be the correct from as a question? -escribes muchas cartas para (alguien)? -escribas muchas cartas para...?
Well, I don't think that this sentence you posted would warrant (justify/need) the use of the subjunctive in this case.. Please see llnk to SpanishDict grammar section: subjunctive. vs indicative enter link description here
You could ask
¿Quieres que te escriba muchas cartas? = Do you want me to write a lot of letters to you?
The present subjunctive sentence that I have given you above is essentially saying Do you (1st subject) want that I (2nd subect) write a lot of letters to you? This is not a translation as such but shows you the idea that is being translated.
For the subjunctive to be necessary there needs to be:
1 Two different subjects, one in each clause
2 separated by the relative pronoun: 'que'
3 Two different verbs , one in each part: in this case: 1. Querer = to wish/want and 2 escribir = to write
The present subjunctive (mood) is often used to convey a future meaning Tthe future subjunctive is rarely used; being reserevd for legal documents and literary works eg prose, poetry etc..)
eg: Espero que llega mañana = I hope (that) she arrives tomorrow
Here is a link to the SpannishDict grammar section: Present subjunctive. enter link description here
The imperfect subjunctive (mood) is used to convey a past meaning
and either the conditional or the imperfect indicative tenses are used.
ex 1 Viajaría por todo el mundo si tuviera más dinero = I would travel around the wordl if I had more money
¿Viajarías por todo el mundo si tuviera más dinero? = Would you travel around the world if you had more money?
ex 2 Quise que vinieras/vinieses a mi fiesta. (I wanted you to come to my party.) (Example from SpanishDict grammar section)
I don't think this example is completely correct! I think that it should be:
Quería (not quise) que vinieras etc...because, according to Barron's 501 Spanish verbs (7th edn) under the explanation of tense 3 preterite pg 17 "Querer which means to wish or want means tried in the preterite" 
This would give a totally different meaning to the second example (ex 2) : I tried you to come to my party which wouldn't make sense! Unless of course, it only means 'tried' in some circumstances/or when used in certain ways or contexts (???)
Here is a link to the SpanishDict grammar section: imperfect subjunctive, which explains its use in more detail: enter link description here
I hope this helps
Corrijan mi español, por favor
