There are 2 parts of the Sequence of Tenses in Spanish. The first part addresses how to know when to use present subjunctive vs imperfect subjunctive. The second part addresses the tenses used in IF Clauses. Read the charts below and then watch the video that explains them in more detail.
SEQUENCE OF TENSES for subjunctive statements
| Indicative tense in main clause | connector | Subjunctive tense in dependent clause |
|---|---|---|
| PRESENT | que | PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE or PRESENT PERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE |
| FUTURE | que | PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE or PRESENT PERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE |
| COMMAND | que | PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE or PRESENT PERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE |
| PRETERIT | que | IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE or PAST PERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE |
| IMPERFECT | que | IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE or PAST PERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE |
| CONDITIONAL | que | IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE or PAST PERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE |
SEQUENCE OF TENSES for IF Clauses
| SI Clause (IF...) | Result clause (THEN...) |
|---|---|
| Si + PRESENT INDICATIVE | PRESENT INDICATIVE |
| Si + PRESENT INDICATIVE | FUTURE |
| Si + PRESENT INDICATIVE | IMPERATIVE |
| Si + IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE | CONDITIONAL |
| Si + PAST PERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE | CONDITIONAL PERFECT |
*Notice you will never use present subjunctive in an IF statement.
This video walks through the Sequence of Tenses tables and how you can use them to understand which version of subjunctive you need when a sentence requires it.
The worksheet below includes these charts. After each chart, it asks you to translate a sample sentence for each combination of tenses.
Download the worksheet and work through the translations. Doing this as a translation exercise should help you match up the sentence structures and verb forms with what you would say in English. After completing them, you'll have a good reference sheet with examples for future use as well. Once you have completed your translations, check the answer key. Pay close attention to the verb forms. It may be possible to use a different word here or there in the sentences than what I used, but the verb forms should all match!