Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

16.1.1.3 The subjunctive tenses
(a) Present subjunctive

NOTE The present subjunctive is formed from the first person singular of the present indicative. For -ar

verbs change the o or a of the present indicative ending to e. For -er and -ir verbs, change the

o or e of the present indicative ending to a.

(b) Past (imperfect) subjunctive

There are two forms of the past subjunctive in Spanish. They are used more or less

interchangeably in the Peninsula (with a slight preference, especially in Andalusia, for

the-ra forms in speech); in Latin America the -ra form is strongly preferred in speech.

Both are used universally in the written language.

NOTE For both regular and irregular verbs, the past subjunctive is formed from the third person plural

of the preterite, changing -ron to either -ra, etc., or -se, etc.

The -ra forms:

The -se forms:

16.1.1.4 Past participle

NOTE The past participle is formed by adding the endings in italics to the present stem. The -er and -ir

conjugations are identical.

cante coma parta

cantes (cantés) comas (comás) partas (partás)

cante coma parta

cantemos comamos partamos

cantéis comáis partáis

canten coman partan

cantara comiera partiera

cantaras comieras partieras

cantara comiera partiera

cantáramos comiéramos partiéramos

cantarais comierais partierais

cantaran comieran partieran

cantase comiese partiese

cantases comieses partieses

cantase comiese partiese

cantásemos comiésemos partiésemos

cantáseis comieseis partieseis

cantasen comiesen partiesen

The overall pattern 16.1