Lesson 127: Picking the right tense with the subjunctive

Independent Clause Dependent Clause

Presente
Futuro = Congiuntivo presente o congiuntivo passato
Imperative

Follows these guidelines when using the subjunctive with these tense combinations:

1. When the independent clauses is in the presente, futuro or the imperativo, the dependent clause may be in the congiuntivo presente -- if the action occurs at the same time or the future -- or
2. ...the congiuntivo passato -- if the action occurs in the past.

Independent Clause Dependent Clause

Imperfetto
Passato Prossimo = Congiuntivo imperfetto or congiuntivo trapassato
Passato Remoto
Trapassato
Condizionale
Condizionale passato

Follows these guidelines when using the subjunctive with these tense combinations:

1. When the independent clause occurs in any past tenses or conditional tenses, the dependent clauses takes the congiuntivo imperfetto when the action takes place at the same time or later than the independent clause.
   
   
2. or...it takes the congiuntivo trapassato when the action of the dependent clause precedes that of the independent clause.

REMEMBER: When the subject of both clauses is the same, the infinitive is used!!