I am having the biggest issue with subjunctive

Question

Can anyone please check my ten sentences, I have been going at this for about four hours now trying to make my sentences correct without a native speaker and I just feel like I cannot trust myself on these sentences.

1. Sugiero que no vayas a fiestas todos las noches. (I suggest you do not go to parties every night)
2. Espero que quieras trabajar muchos en clase porque eso auydara. (I hope you want to work a lot in class because it would help)
3. Espero que tu tengas un tutor espanol (I hope you have a spanish tutor.
4. Deseo que des te prestes atencion en clase. (I wish that you will pay attention in class)
5. Ojala que vayas hagas las preguntas del profesor. (Hopefully you will ask the teacher questions)
6. Sugiero que siempre llegues a tiempo. (I suggest you arrive on time)
7. Es urgente que tu lleves mis consejo. (It is urgent you take my advice)
8. Es cierto que vayas hayas mejor si se toma este consejo (It is true you will do better if you take this advice)
9. Ojala que pueda estudies todos los dias. (hopefully you will study everyday)
10. Es una lastima que no se puede aprendas espanol en otro pais este semestre. (It is a shame you cannot learn spanish in another country this semeter).

We love helping people learn Spanish (or English) as a forum participant. Please join us by putting your gender and level of proficiency in English and Spanish in your profile. - Jubilado, Apr 10, 2016

Thank you, I just made the account and it is current and up to date now. :) - butler1991butler, Apr 10, 2016

In my non-native speaker opinion all of your sentences require the subjunctive in the clause introduced by "que" except #8. There are some 2-verb errors (5, 8, 9 &10;) - Jubilado, Apr 10, 2016

Thank you, amiga. I think Daniela will give you a good response soon. - Jubilado, Apr 10, 2016

Thank you. - butler1991butler, Apr 10, 2016

By two-verb errors, what exactly do you mean? (I am sorry for not understanding immediately) That I have two verbs which I should only have one or I have used subjunctive conjugation on something I shouldn't have? - butler1991butler, Apr 10, 2016

You are in luck having found this site. Some very good teachers use it! - 00cc0117, Apr 10, 2016

except for compound tenses eg ha ido the second verb is usually the infinitive. - Mardle, Apr 10, 2016

Answer 1

Sugiero que no vayas a fiestas todos las noches. (I suggest you do not go to parties every night)

TE sugiero que no vayas DE fiesta todAs las noches. (more idiomatic que no te vayas de..)

Espero que quieras trabajar muchos en clase porque eso auydara. (I hope you want to work a lot in class because it would help)

Espero que quieras trabajar mucho en clase porque eso auyudará.

Espero que tu tengas un tutor espanol (I hope you have a spanish tutor.

Espero que tengas un tutor español.

Deseo que des te prestes atencion en clase. (I wish that you will pay attention in class)

Deseo que prestes atención en clase/ pongas atención en clase.

Ojala que vayas hagas las preguntas del profesor. (Hopefully you will ask the teacher questions) I don´t understand this one. ¿¿ ojala que preguntes las preguntas del profesor??

Sugiero que siempre llegues a tiempo. (I suggest you arrive on time)

TE sugiero que ......

Es urgente que tu lleves mis consejo. (It is urgent you take my advice)

Es urgente que/ Urge que aceptes mi consejo . not literaly but it is what the English sentence means in Spanish.

Es cierto que vayas hayas mejor si se toma este consejo (It is true you will do better if you take this advice)

creeme harás mejor si me haces caso. (Literaly but it sound weird "Es cierto ,harás mejor si tomas mi consejo)

Ojala que pueda estudies todos los dias. (hopefully you will study everyday)

Ojala que estudies todos los días

Es una lastima que no se puede aprendas espanol en otro pais este semestre. (It is a shame you cannot learn spanish in another country this semeter).

Es una lástima que no puedas aprender español en otro país éste semestre.

Thanks for your answer. I hope our friend can learn from these fine examples. I cannot correct a sentence that is wrong because my corrections sometimes are also wrong. This is the value of a native speaker! - Jubilado, Apr 10, 2016

you are wellcome - 000a35ff, Apr 10, 2016

Thank you! I have been struggling with these sentences all day. - butler1991butler, Apr 10, 2016

Ánimo - 000a35ff, Apr 10, 2016

Gracias Astotxua. A lot of work on your part. - 00cc0117, Apr 10, 2016

Answer 2

When you have a verb of emotion, doubt, or desire on the part of one person - the main clause - related to the actions of a different person - the subject in the dependent clause (the one after que), you use the subjunctive in the second (dependent) clause. The verbs in your sentences: sugiero que, espero que, deseo que, es urgente que, ojalá que, es lástima que are all such verbs. Es cierto que however is not.

In sentence numbers 5 & 8 and 9 & 10 you have one main verb that should be followed by an infinitive (2 verbs working together to form one concept). The main verb is conjugated (in the tú form in your examples), and the second is left as an infinitive. In # 5 you should have vayas le preguntar (you are going to / will ask) al professor (the teacher).

There are other mistakes in your sentences and I hope our resident actual teacher Daniela2041 will explain (a subjunctive use in Spanish - Espero que ella explique) more fully and perhaps more coherently!

Thank you for responding and listing the issues and why I had them wrong - butler1991butler, Apr 10, 2016