What do you want to know? How to use the Subjunctive in nominal clauses? Click here Example: Quiero que, me alegro que, es necesario que, dudo que ... How to use the Subjunctive in adverbial clauses? Click here Example: Vengo cuando/ tan prono como/ en cuanto ... pueda. How to use the Subjunctive in adjectival clauses? Click here Example: Busco un libro que sea interesante. How to use the Subjunctive in independent clauses? Click here Exemplo: Ojalá no haya clase hoy.

• the concept of simple or independent clause and more complex or dependent clause. 
• An independent clause has only one conjugated verb or predicate and one subject: Juan (subject)canta. (conjugated verb).There can be other elements in the sentence that modify the subject or the predicate but only one subject and one predicate: Mi primo Juan canta con su hermana Sofía una vez al mes. 
• A dependent or subordinate clause, as the name suggests, depends on another, the main clause, that means it has to be use always together with a main clause. The subordinate clause is introduced and tied to the main clause with the conjunction "que". The subordinate clause modifies somehow the predicate of the main clause, adding meaning to it: Juan (subject of the main clause) quiere (predicate of the main clause) que (conjunction) su hermana (subject of the subordinate clause) cante (predicate of the subordinate clause)con él.

As a rule of thumb: Use the subjunctive only in dependent or subordinate clauses.

(There are some exceptions in pseudo-independent clauses introduced by ojalá, quizá(s) and tal vez, exclamations, as well in some commands , which we will present at the end of this page. But for now you should assume that the subjunctive is used in subordinate clauses.)

• there are three types of dependent or subordinate clauses: 

• nominal clauses, clauses that modify the verb the same way a direct nominal object would: Quiero a mi hermano. (I like my brother.) (Who do I like? = my brother = direct object) Quiero que Sofía cante. (I want Sofia to sing or that Sofia sings.) (What do I want? = that she sings = direct object) 
• adverbial clauses, clauses that modify the verb the way a simple adverb would: Voy a salir pronto. (I am going to leave soon. When I am going to leave = soon = adverb) Voy a salir cuando pueda (I am going to leave as soon as I can. When am I going to leave? = as soon as I can = adverbial clause.) 
• adjectival clauses, clauses that modify the direct object of the main clause, the way a simple adjective would: Quiero cantar la canción famosa (famosa = adjective that modifies canción; what kind of song = a famous song) Quiero cantar la canción que escuché ayer. (I want to sing the song that I heard yesterday. What kind of song? = that I heard yesterday = adjectival clause modifying "song") Quiero cantar una canción que haga llorar a mi novia. (I want to sing a song that makes my girl friend cry. What kind of song? = that makes my girl friend cry = adjectival clause modifying "song")

• it is not always necessary to use the subjunctive in subordinate clauses but only under the following conditions:

Juan quiere que su hermana cante con él. (Juan wants his sister to sing with him)

aconsejar que (to advise) : Juan aconseja que cante su hermana.

*decir que (to tell): Juan dice que cante su hermana.

dejar que (to allow, to let): Juan deja que cante su hermana.

desear que (to whish, to want): Juan desea que cante su hermana.

exigir que (to demand) : Juan exige que cante su hermana.

hacer que (to make): Juan hace que cante su hermana. (Juan makes his sister sing.)

impedir que (to prevent): Juan impide que cante su hermana. (Juan prevents his sister from singing.)

*insistir en que (to insist on): Juan insiste en que cante su hermana. (Juan insists on his sister singing.)

mandar que (to order, to command): Juan manda que cante su hermana.

pedir que (to ask for): Juan pide que cante su hermana.

preferir que (to prefer): Juan prefiere que cante su hermana.

prohibir que (to forbid, to keep from): Juan prohibe que cante su hermana.

recomendar que (to recommend): Juan recomienda que cante su hermana.

rogar que (to beg): Juan ruega que cante su hermana.

sugerir que (to suggest): Juan sugiere que cante su hermana.

* Some verbs, for example decir and insistir have more than one use. They can be used to express a command, a will or wish, but also to simply convey information. In the first case they are followed by a subjunctive and in the second case there is no subjunctive:

Juan le dice a su hermana que cante. (Juan tell his sister to sing.) = wish or will = Subjunctive

Juan dice que su hermana canta bien. (Juan says that his sister sings well.) = mentioning something = No Subjunctive.

As you can see in the example Juan quiere que su hermana cante con él. (Juan wants his sister to sing with him)    there must be two people involved in this situation, Juan and his sister, one in the main clause and one in the subordinate clause. Therefore, if there isn't a second person involved, there is no subjunctive but an infinive and there is no "que".

Juan quiere que su hermana cante con él. (2 subjects = subjunctive and "que") but:  Juan quiere cantar solo. (one subject, Juan = no subjunctive but an infinitive and no "que")

Some verbs allow to signal that there is a second person involved by using a pronoun (le, les, lo, la, los, las) with the main verb. In these cases you have two choices: You can either use the subjunctive and a subordinate clause intoduced by "que" or you just use an infinitive and no "que":

Juan (le) aconseja que cante su hermana. or Juan (le) aconseja a su hermana que cante. (The brackets around the pronouns mean that the use of the pronouns is optional.) but: Juan le aconseja cantar a su hermana. (The use of the pronoun is optional.)

(Te) aconsejo que tomes el tren. (I recommend you to take the train.) but: Te aconsejo tomar el train.

Other verbs in this category are dejar, exigir, impedir, mandar, permitir, prohibir, rogar and sugerir.

Me alegro que el profesor esté enfermo. (I am glad that the teacher is sick.)

encantarle algo a alguien (to be delighted that): Me encanta que el profesor esté enfermo. 

enojarle algo a alguien (to make angry that): Me enoja que el profesor esté enfermo. 

esperar que (to hope that): Espero que el profesor esté enfermo. 

extrañarle algo a alguien que (to be surprised that): Me extraña que el profesor esté enfermo. 

gustarle algo a alguien que (to be pleased that): Me gusta que el profesor esté enfermo. 

lamentar que (to regret that): Lamento que el profesor esté enfermo. 

molestarle algo a alguien (to be bothered, annoyed that): Me molesta que el profesor esté enfermo. 

sentir que (to be sorry, to regret that): Siento que el profesor esté enfermo. 

sorprenderle algo a alguien que (to be surprised that): Me sorprende que el profesor esté enfermo. 

temer que (to fear): Temo que el profesor esté enfermo. 

tener miedo (de) que (to be afraid that): Tengo miedo(de) que el profesor esté enfermo. 

Again, if there isn't a second person involved, there is no subjunctive but an infinive and there is no "que".

Espero estar enfermo mañana [porque vamos a tener un examen]. (I hope to be sick tomorrow [because we'll have an exam].
 
 

Dudo