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Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive Quiz

Do you know the difference between the present indicative and the present subjunctive moods in Spanish? Most simply put, the indicative depicts certainty and objectivity while the subjunctive describes doubt and subjectivity. If you would like to learn about or brush up on these concepts, we suggest lessons from Yabla's Spanish lesson archives on how to use the Spanish present indicative and when to use the Spanish subjunctive, and when you feel ready, test your knowledge with this quiz!

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Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive: Fill in the Blank

In the following sentences, choose the correct present indicative or subjunctive verb to fill in the blank. 

 

1. David ____ al gimnasio todos los días.

a. va

b. vaya

 

2.  Espero que María ______ a la fiesta; hace mucho que no la veo. 

a. viene

b. venga

 

3. Nos alegra mucho de que ____ aquí.

a. estás

b. estés

 

4. Juan _____ ahora mismo. 

a. viene 

b. venga

 

5. Juan estudió muy poco para el examen. Dudo que _____ una buena nota. 

a. saca

b. saque

 

6. Todos nos vemos afectados por la sequía. Ojalá que ______ pronto. 

a. llueve

b. llueva

 

7.  Yo te _____ mañana. 

a. llamo

b. llame

 

8. Los planetas _____ alrededor del sol.

a. giran

b. giren

 

9. Si quieres ser músico profesional, es muy importante que __________ mucho. 

a. practicas

b. practiques 

 

10. Recomiendo que _________ Barcelona durante nuestro viaje a España.

a. visitamos

b. visitemos 

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Bonus Round

These tougher bonus round questions include more than one verb in the present indicative and/or subjunctive mood(s), as well more options. Are you ready?! 

 

11. Yo ______ que Manuel me ______ a la fiesta.

a. quiero, invita

b. quiera, invite

c. quiero, invite

d. quiera, invita

 

12. Mariela _____ muchas ganas de conocer Brazil. Es seguro que _____ ahí este verano. 

a. tiene, viaja

b. tenga, viaje

c. tiene, viaje

d. tenga, viaja

 

13. No creo que _______ al evento. Todos ________ muy enfermos. 

a. asistimos, estamos

b. asistamos, estemos

c. asistimos, estemos

d. asistamos, estamos

 

14. _______ en contacto. Nos _____ pronto. 

a. Estamos, vemos

b. Estemos, veamos

c. Estamos, veamos

d. Estemos, vemos

 

15. Te ____ que me _____ la verdad, que siempre ____ sincero conmigo. 

a. pido, dices, eres

b. pida, digas, seas

c. pido, digas, seas

d. pida, dices, seas

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Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive Quiz: The Answers

The following are the answers to all of the questions in this Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive Quiz as well as the translations and grammatical justifications for each. 

 

1. Correct Answer: a. va (indicative)

David va al gimnasio todos los días.

David goes to the gym every day. 

REASON: The indicative mood is used to describe routines and repetitive actions in the present. 

 

2.  Correct Answer: b. venga (subjunctive)

Espero que María venga a la fiesta; hace mucho que no la veo.

I hope that Maria comes to the party; I haven't seen her for a long time. 

REASON: The subjunctive mood should be employed in a sentence's dependent clause following que (that) or some other subordinating conjunction when the main clause, in this case espero que (I hope that), expresses some wish, hope, or desire. In other words, although the speaker "hopes" that Maria will come to the party, we don't know if she will. 

 

3. Correct Answer: b. estés (subjunctive)

Nos alegra mucho de que estés aquí.

We're really happy that you're here. 

REASON: Although the speaker is certain of the person to whom they are speaking's presence, the subjunctive is utilized in dependent clauses that follow a subject's emotional or subjective reaction. Let's take a look at a similar example where emotion in the main clause triggers the subjunctive in the dependent one:

 

me da miedo que mis seres queridos sufran

it scares me for my loved ones to [potentially] suffer

o que les pasen cosas malas.

or for bad things to happen to them.

Caption 41, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y sentimientos

 Play Caption

 

4. Correct Answer: a. viene 

Juan viene ahora mismo. 

Juan is coming right now. 

REASON: The present indicative is used to portray actions that are unfolding at the present moment. 

 

5. Correct Answer: b. saque (subjunctive)

Juan estudió muy poco para el examen. Dudo que saque una buena nota. 

Juan studied very little for the exam. I doubt that he'll get a good grade. 

REASON: When doubt or disbelief is expressed in a Spanish sentence's main clause, the verb in the dependent clause must be in the subjunctive

 

6. Correct Answer: b. llueva (subjunctive)

Todos nos vemos afectados por la sequía. Ojalá que llueva pronto. 

We're all affected by the drought. Hopefully it will rain soon. 

REASON: When a verb follows the word Ojalá, which means roughly "hopefully," it will be always be conjugated in the subjunctive. Let's see another example:

 

y ojalá disfruten del aprendizaje de nuestro idioma.

and I hope you enjoy learning our language.

Caption 56, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín - Manuel y El barrilito

 Play Caption

 

7. Correct Answer: a. llamo

Yo te llamo mañana. 

I'll call you tomorrow.

REASON: Sometimes, actions that will happen in the near future are expressed with the present indicative in Spanish. 

 

8. Correct Answer: a. giran

Los planetas giran alrededor del sol.

The planets revolve around the sun.  

REASON: Facts and universal truths are described with the Spanish present indicative, as in the following caption:

 

Ámsterdam cuenta con setenta y cinco kilómetros de canales

Amsterdam has seventy-five kilometers of canals

y tiene más de mil puentes.

and has more than a thousand bridges.

Captions 60-61, Viajando con Fermín - Ámsterdam

 Play Caption

 

9. Correct Answer: b. practiques (subjunctive)

Si quieres ser músico profesional, es muy importante que practiques mucho. 

If you want to be a professional musician, it's very important that you practice a lot. 

REASON: Unless they express certainty, impersonal expressions such as es importante que (it's important that), es raro que (it's strange that), es bueno/malo que (it's good/bad that), etc. are followed by a verb in the subjunctive

 

10. Correct Answer: b. visitemos (subjunctive)

Recomiendo que visitemos Barcelona durante nuestro viaje a España.

I recommend that we visit Barcelona during our trip tp Spain.

REASON: When making recommendations to others, the verb that follows must be in subjunctive, like in the following clip:

 

les aconsejo que vayan a Zipaquirá,

I advise you to go to Zipaquira,

Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Carlos - América precolombina - Mitos y leyendas Muiscas

 Play Caption

 

Bonus Round

11. Correct Answer: c. quiero (indicative)invite (subjunctive)

Yo quiero que Manuel me invite a la fiesta.

I want Manuel to invite me to the party. 

REASON: The indicative verb in the main clause (quiero) expresses a wish or desire, which triggers the subjunctive in the dependent clause.

 

12. Correct Answer: a. tiene (indicative), viaja (indicative)

Mariela tiene muchas ganas de conocer Brazil. Es seguro que viaja allá este verano. 

Mariela really wants to go to Brazil. She'll surely travel there this summer. 

REASON: Since it's a fact that Mariela wants to go to Brazil, the first verb (tiene) is in the indicative. The second verb (viaja) is also in the indicative because it follows an impersonal expression that expresses certainty

 

13. Correct Answer: d. asistamos (subjunctive), estamos (indicative)

No creo que asistamos al evento. Todos estamos muy enfermos. 

I don't think we'll attend the event. We're all really sick. 

REASON: In the first sentence, the main clause No creo que (I don't think that) expresses disbelief, triggering the subjunctive in the dependent clause. In the second sentence, estamos (we're) is in the indicative because it's a fact that "we're all sick."

 

14. Correct Answer: a. Estamos (indicative), vemos (indicative)

Estamos en contacto. Nos vemos pronto. 

We'll be in touch. See you soon.  

REASON: These common expressions are examples of how the Spanish present indicative can be used to talk about actions to take place in the near future

 

15. Correct Answer: c. pido (indicative), digas (subjunctive), seas (subjunctive)

Te pido que me digas la verdad, que siempre seas sincero conmigo. 

I ask you to tell me the truth, to always be honest with me. 

REASON: Once again, the verb in the main clause, pido (I ask), is in the indicative, and since it indicates a desire, the following verbs in the dependent clause, digas (to tell) and seas (to be), are in the subjunctive

 

That's all for this quiz. How did you do?! To better understand the various uses of the Spanish present indicative and subjunctive, we have a plethora of lessons and videos in our archives to assist you! For starters, try Clase Aula Azul's series Pedir deseos (Making Wishes) and Información con subjuntivo e indicativo (Information with Subjunctive and Indicative), Ana Carolina's El modo subjuntivo (The Subjunctive Mood), and Doctora Consejos (Doctor Advice) videos like Subjuntivo y sentimientos (Subjunctive and Feelings) and Subjuntivo y persona ideal (Subjunctive and Ideal Person). In the meantime, we hope you've enjoyed this Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive Quiz, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.

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