The Subjunctive and Indefinite or Nonexistent
Antecedents
This complicated looking title is referring
to situations when you are looking for, wishing for, wanting, or not seeing,
something that you want. You would use the Subjunctive (after
que)
to describe something that you want but don't know exists.
For example:
| I want a boyfriend who is tall, dark, a
total babe and who likes to ride horses. |
Quiero un novio que sea alto, moreno, requeteguapo
y que le guste montar a caballo. |
I use the Subjunctive here because I don't
really know a person exactly like this. On the other hand, if I already
know of a guy that fits this description, I could point him out to my friends
and say:
| I want that guy who is tall and dark, and
who likes to ride horses. |
Quiero al hombre que es alto y moreno, y
a quien le gusta montar a caballo. |
And my friends would respond, "Oh, that is Mel
Gibson! He is already married! ¡Qué lástima!
If I am an employer describing the type of employee
I want to find, I would use the Subjunctive.
If I am describing an employee who already works for me, I use the Indicative.
I also use the Subjunctive when I describe people who don't exist (or who I
believe don't exist.) For example, if I point out that there
is no one who can write in 15 languages,
I use the Subjunctive. Anytime I start a sentence
| There is no one
who... |
No hay nadie que... |
I must use the Subjunctive in the description
- because I am describing someone who doesn't exist.
| But if I say, "There is someone in this
department who can..," I finish with the Indicative - because I know this
person exists and what his or her skills are.
See "When
not
to use the Subjunctive."
|
Copyright ©
2000 Deborah R. Lemon.
All rights reserved.