307. After verbs of believing,
knowing, thinking and affirming, the dependent noun
clause is expressed by the indicative when stating facts or implying
certainty.
Creo que este hombre dice
la verdad. |
I believe this man tells the truth. |
| Ella creía que V. vendría
hoy. |
She believed you would come
to-day. |
| Pienso que ya es tiempo. |
I think it is already time. |
| Confesó que había venido. |
He confessed that he had come. |
| Ella declara que el hombre es inocente. |
She declares that the man is innocent. |
| Yo sé que ya vinieron. |
I know they have come. |
| Dijo que nos había visto. |
He said he had seen us. |
308. If, however, in the above cases, uncertainty
or doubt is expressed, especially when the principal verb is negative,
the subjunctive may be more properly used.
| Yo no creo que lo haga. |
I do not believe he does it. |
No creo que sea tiempo de
salir. |
I do not believe it is time to leave. |
No digo que lo haya (or
he)
visto. |
I do not say that I have seen him. |
| Ella no declaró que yo fuese
inocente. |
She did not declare that I was innocent. |
a. In questions the subjunctive or indicative may be
used, the indicative implying a certain degree of certainty, and
the subjunctive uncertainty, on the part of the speaker.
| ¿Cree V. que ella
sea (or es) feliz? |
Do you believe she is happy? |
¿Cree V. que él venga
(or vendrá)? |
Do you believe he will come? |
¿Pensaron ellos que nosotros
viniéramos (or veníamos
or vendríamos)? |
Did they think that we would come? |
| ¿Que piensas que soy tonto? |
Do you think I am a fool?
(The certainty of not being a fool is implied.) |
309. Indirect Discourse. To express indirect
discourse the verb of the dependent clause is ordinarily in the
indicative.
| Dice que |
{ |
viene
vendrá |
} |
mañana. |
He says he is coming to-morrow. |
| |
| Dijo que |
{ |
venía
vendría |
} |
mañana. |
He said he would come to-morrow. |
| |
| Ha dicho que no lo |
{ |
hace
hará |
} |
|
He has said that he will not do it. |
| |
| Nos confesó que
había venido. |
He confessed to us that he had
come. |
| Declaró que lo
había visto. |
She declared that she had seen
him. |
| Me informó que
su padre había estado aquí. |
He informed me that his father
had been here. |
310. Saber used negatively requires the verb of
the subordinate clause in the subjunctive after que, and
in the indicative after si (= ' if, whether').
| No sé que haya
venido. |
I do not know that he has come. |
| No sé que venga. |
I do not know that he will come. |
| No sé si vendrá. |
I do not know that
(or whether) he will come. |
| No sabían si su
padre iría a verlas. |
They did not know whether their father would
go to see them. |
| |
| No sabemos si |
{ |
ha
habrá |
} |
venido. |
We do not know that he has come. |
311. Sequence of Tenses. The general
rules for the sequence of tenses are the following:
a. The present tense, the future tense, or the imperative
in a principal clause, requires the present subjunctive in the
dependent clause, if the verb of the latter relates to a time
coexistent with, or subsequent to, the time of the principal verb.
| Le digo que venga. |
I tell him to come. |
| Le diré que venga. |
I shall tell him to come. |
| Dígale (usted)
que venga. |
Tell him to come. |
1. If, however, in the above cases, the verb of the dependent
clause relates to a time prior to that of the principal verb,
the past (either form)1 or present perfect subjunctive
is required.
No creo que V. estuviese
(or haya estado) aquí. |
I do not believe that you were
here. |
Es probable que el viniera
(or haya venido) ayer. |
It is probable that he came yesterday. |
b. The past tense (past descriptive or past absolute
indicative) in a principal clause requires the past subjunctive
(either form) in the dependent clause, if the verb of the latter
relates to a time coexistent with, or subsequent to, the time
of the principal verb.
Le decía (or
dije) que se fuera
(or fuese). |
I was telling him (or told
him)
to go. |
Me rogó que le ayudara
(or ayudase). |
He begged me to help him. |
1. If, however, in the above case, the verb of the dependent
clause relates to a time prior to that of the principal verb,
the past perfect subjunctive is required.
Sentía mucho que
yo hubiese
(or hubiera) estado aquí
y que no hubiese ido a verle. |
He was very sorry that I had
been here and had not gone
to see him. |
No creían que lo hubiese
(or hubiera) hecho. |
They did not believe that he
had done it. |
1 The two forms
of the past subjunctive are always interchangeable in dependent
clauses.
312. Learn the present and past subjunctive of
dar (476), haber
(479), tener
(489), and querer
(485).
|
