Does the future subjunctive progressive exist in Spanish?

Question

In the reference post titled Progressive, the author lists many ways in which the progressive gerund (a.k.a. present participle) can be combined with the different tenses, aspects, and moods. I'm wondering if this is supposed to be a complete and exhaustive list of tenses, aspects, and moods using the progressive, and if so, why is there no such thing as future subjunctive progressive in Spanish? In the reference post titled Future Perfect Subjunctive, we learn that both the simple future subjunctive and the future perfect subjunctive are rarely used today, mostly in literary works and legal documents, and are more often than not replaced by the present subjunctive and formations of the present and past perfect subjunctives, respectively. Would I similarly find the future subjunctive progressive in these limited sources and replace it with the present subjunctive elsewhere, OR does it simply not exist/ is not grammatically correct in Spanish?

You don't have to translate this sentence, but here's an English example of what I mean by future subjunctive progressive: I hope that I will be dancing and singing still when I'm 80

Please fill in your user profile with your gender and levels of proficiency in English and Spanish. This information is very important for participants in the forum. You may tell us your general location also if you wish. Thanks! - Jubilado, Jul 15, 2016

P.S. You'll get 10 more rep points from me when you fill out your profile. - Jubilado, Jul 15, 2016

Thanks!! I've done it now ;) - myrarj, Jul 15, 2016

Thank you for filling out your profile, well worth a vote from me . - ray76, Jul 16, 2016

And now a badge mate. - ray76, Jul 16, 2016

Awesome!! - myrarj, Jul 16, 2016

Here's the vote I promised. - Jubilado, Jul 16, 2016

Wonderful, thnx! - myrarj, Jul 16, 2016

Answer 1

I took up Jubilado's challenge:

http://www.lexjuris.com/lexlex/lextransito/lextransitocap09.htm

Cuando no haya semáforos instalados o éstos no estuvieren funcionando.

and

Estas precauciones serán tomadas aun cuando el peatón estuviere haciendo uso incorrecto o ilegal de la vía pública.

I have to admit, it would seem more normal estén and esté to me.

I think you really know how to use the internet. It probably took me 4 times longer to research in my book and type out my answer. Thanks from me! - Jubilado, Jul 15, 2016

Jubilado or Bosque, how do you translate this part into English, please: Cuando no haya semáforos instalados (?)When traffic lights will not have been installed? or perhaps when there will not have been traffic lights installed? I am finding it hard to.. - FELIZ77, Jul 15, 2016

translate haya into English Any help would be apprecaited. Thank you :) - FELIZ77, Jul 15, 2016

“When there are no traffic lights installed or these might not be working…” is my attempt to put it in correct English. - Jubilado, Jul 15, 2016

I would agree with Jubilado. :) - bosquederoble, Jul 15, 2016

Thanks for rising to the "challenge" bosquederoble and sharing with us an instance where future subjunctive progressive has been used in Spanish text. - myrarj, Jul 15, 2016

Answer 2

I hope that I will be dancing and singing still when I'm 80

I would say

Espero que todavía pueda bailar y cantar cuanto tenga 80

Espero que todavía baile y cante...

Espero que pueda seguir bailando y cantando...

Espero que siga cantando y bailando...

I hope this helps you!

I think it seems to many of us that one does not actually use the future progressive subjunctive in speech or normal situations. Thanks for your contribution. - Jubilado, Jul 15, 2016

Awesome feedback LuisCache! So the consensus seems to be that present subjunctive is the way to go in modern day spoken Spanish. - myrarj, Jul 15, 2016

"Espero que todavía pueda bailar y cantar cuanto tenga 80". Is that not incorrect if "epero","pueda", y "tenga" refer to the same person? Would not be correct to say, "Espero poder bailar y cantar al alcanzar los 80 años"? - DonBigoteDeLaLancha, Jul 15, 2016

Sí es correcto, Don Bigote. Aunque suena más natural "cuando tenga" (when I am). Saludos! - LuisCache, Jul 15, 2016

Answer 3

I am approaching this from an analytical grammatical perspective not from experience of having seen the form in existence.

According to Complete Handbook of Spanish Verbs by Judith Noble and Jaime Lacassa, January 11, 1985, Passport Books, ISBN 0844276340, these are the Spanish verbal forms that exist:

Under Simple Tenses / Tiempos Simples:

Indicative / Indicativo:

Present / Presente

Imperfect / Pretérito Imperfecto

Preterite (Past) / Pretérito Indefinido

Future / Futuro

Conditional / Potencial Simple

Subjunctive / Subjuntivo:

Present / Presente

Past / Pretérito (2 forms in Spanish)

Future / Futuro

Affirmative and Negative Imperative forms addressed to someone else or ourselves (let’s)

Present and Past Participles (This category includes the “-ing” and “-ando, -iendo” present participle / gerundio forms and therefore the progressive or continuative forms using a for of the verb “to be” and “estar” - see end of this answer for comment):

The Perfect Participle / Gerundio Compuesto: having spoken / habiendo hablado

Under Perfect Infinitive / Infinitivo Perfecto: to have spoken / haber hablado

Under Perfect (Compound) Tenses / Tiempos Compustos - have, has, had / haber

Indicative:

Present Perfect / Pretérito Perfecto

Past Perfect (one form in English) In Spanish there are 2 forms: Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto using the imperfect form of haber and the Pretérito Perfecto using the preterite form of haber.

Future Perfect / Futuro Perfecto

Conditional Perfect / Potencial Compuesto

Subjunctive:

Present Perfect / Pretérito Perfecto

Past Perfect / Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto

Future Perfect / Futuro Perfecto

Comment: Given the potential of forming a future subjunctive progressive “estuviere bailando”, I would say you can make it exist but the real test would be to find out if it actually has been used somewhere in Spanish literature or other written examples.

Great response, and I learned something new about the perfect infinitive. Might have to get this handbook for myself, seems like a wealth of information. - myrarj, Jul 15, 2016