Sequence of Tenses in Subjunctive

Sequence of Tenses in Subjunctive

We have already seen that subjunctive is used in subordinate clauses especially if we want to express a subjective speaker’s attitude to particular events, facts or situations (see also Grammar 2). The use of the tense in the subjunctive depends on the tense in the main clause and on the relation between the main and subordinate clauses.

If the verb in the main clause is in the present tense, congiuntivo presente expresses in clauses introduced by conjunction che an event that takes place simultaneously or consecutively, while congiuntivo passato expresses anteriority.
If the verb in the main clause is in one of the past tenses, congiuntivo imperfetto in the subordinate clause introduced by conjunction che is used to express a simultaneous event and congiuntivo trapassato is used to express anteriority.

Penso che lui esca. (ora = contemporaneità)
Penso lui sia già uscito. (prima = anteriorità)
Pensavo che lui uscisse. (allora = contemporaneità)
Pensavo lui fosse uscito. (prima = anteriorità)

If there is a verb or expression of will, doubt or uncertainty in the main clause in the form of present or past conditional (condizionale presente or passato), then we use congiuntivo imperfetto to express simultaneousness or consecutiveness and congiuntivo trapassato to express anteriority.

Preferirei che tu me lo chiedessi. (ora = contemporaneità)
Vorrei che fosse già partito. (prima = anteriorità)
Avrei preferito che tu me l’avessi chiesto! (allora = anteriorità)

Copyright LANGMaster 2007-2012

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