Grammar Guide – Verb Tenses

Discussing the Past (summary)

1. To discuss events in the past, use preterite or imperfect. Make sure to check the difference between imperfect and preterite.
2. To talk about somebody else’s past actions, use expressions of influence/emotion… + present perfect subjunctive, imperfect subjunctive, or pluperefect subjunctive.
3. To talk about actions that were pending at a point in the past and things that may have or not existed, use imperfect subjunctive.
4. To hypothesize about the past, use 3rd type: si + pluperefect subjunctive.
5. To talk about a past action that preceeded another past action, use plueperfect.
6. To answer question Have you ever? or to refer to past events with relevance to the present, use present perfect.

Discussing the Present (summary)

1. To talk about habitual present actions, events or states, use present indicative. To discuss actions in progress, use present progressive.
2. To talk about somebody else’s present actions, use expressions of influence/emotion… + present subjunctive or imperative.
3. To talk about things that may have or not existed, use present subjunctive.
4. To hypothesize (contrary to the fact), use 2nd type: si + imperfect subjunctive or conditional.

Discussing the Future (summary)

1. To speak about a future action use present indicative, futuro popular (ir a + verb) or future tense.
2. To express influence, talk about somebody’s future actions use expressions of influence/emotion… + present subjunctive.
3. To talk about the actions that are pending use present subjunctive.
4. To hypothesize about the future, use 1st type: si + present indicative, futuro popular (ir a + verb) or infinitive.
5. To talk about something that will have happened by certain time, use future perfect.

3 Types of Hypothesizing

Structures in Spanish are very similar to those in English:

1. Hypothetical situtaions in the future and the present:
   

   Si + present indicative	the present indicative a future tense command
   Si llueve,	no salgo saldré/voy a salir/estaré saliendo no salgas!
   If it rains (it may or may not),	I don’t go out will not go out/am not going out don’t go out!

2. Hypothetical situtaions in the future and the present that are contrary to fact or very unlikely:
   

   Si + imperfect subjunctive	conditional
   Si lloviera,	no saldría.
   If it rained (it does not),	I would not go out.

3. Hypothetical situtaions in the past that are contrary to fact:
   

   Si + pluperfect subjunctive	conditional perfect
   Si hubiera llovido,	no habría salido.
   If it had rained (it did not),	I would not have gone out.

Overall, imperfect combines two constructions from English: past progressive and would/used to
while preterite corresponds to simple past.

Modo Indicativo

Modo Subjuntivo

Correspondence between Tenses in English and Spanish