quería que viniera / quiere que venga
Tense Sequence Examples
Compare quiere que venga with quería que viniera, while keeping mood, time relation and viewpoint separate.
How It Works
Compare Two Viewpoints
Quiere que venga expresses a present wish for an arrival, usually later. Quería que viniera views the wish from the past, with the arrival later than that past wish. Viniese is also possible.
Mood and Tense Are Separate
Querer expressing a wish selects subjunctive in its que clause. The fact that quiere is present or quería is past does not itself select the mood. Tense then expresses the event’s time relation and viewpoint.
Earlier Events
Do not reduce every present main clause to present subjunctive: Dudo que haya terminado doubts earlier completion. From a past viewpoint, Dudaba que hubiera terminado places that completion before the doubt. Both doubt and emotional evaluation can concern events presented as earlier than the main situation.
Current Reference Can Be Retained
A past main verb does not ban present subjunctive in all contexts or varieties: Le pedí que venga mañana can retain tomorrow as a future reference from now. The usual past-viewpoint counterpart is Le pedí que viniera. Likewise, tense choices after present perfect depend on how the speaker relates the reported situation to now.
The paired examples below show common viewpoint contrasts. They are not a substitution table that overrides context.
Examples (6)
- Mi jefe quiere que termine el informe hoy.
My boss wants me to finish the report today.
Word by Word: My boss wants that I finish the report today.
Querer expressing a wish selects subjunctive; termine places the requested completion relative to the present wish.
- Mi jefe quería que terminara el informe ayer.
My boss wanted me to finish the report yesterday.
Word by Word: My boss wanted that I finished the report yesterday.
Terminara presents yesterday’s requested completion from a past viewpoint. The imperfect subjunctive follows the intended time relation; it does not by itself say whether the work was finished.
- Dudo que él sepa la respuesta.
I doubt that he knows the answer.
Word by Word: I doubt that he know the answer.
Doubt selects subjunctive; sepa presents the knowledge as simultaneous with the current doubt.
- Dudaba que él supiera la respuesta.
I doubted that he knew the answer.
Word by Word: I doubted that he knew the answer.
Supiera presents the doubted knowledge as simultaneous with the past doubt.
- Es importante que estudies para el examen.
It's important that you study for the exam.
Word by Word: It is important that you study for the exam.
The importance evaluation selects subjunctive; estudies expresses the studying relative to the current evaluation.
- Era importante que estudiaras para el examen.
It was important that you studied for the exam.
Word by Word: It was important that you studied for the exam.
Estudiaras expresses the studying from the past evaluation’s viewpoint.
Common Mistakes
Intended viewpoint: a past request with the washing viewed from that past setting.
Mi madre me pidió que yo lave los platos.Mi madre me pidió que yo lavara los platos.Lavara gives the intended past viewpoint. Lave can be grammatical when current or future reference is retained in a suitable context or variety. A past main verb alone does not make present subjunctive universally incorrect.
Intended meaning: ordinary past disbelief about his having the money at that time.
No creía que él tuvo el dinero.No creía que él tuviera el dinero.Tuviera expresses the doubted state at the past reference point. Tuvo changes both mood and aspect. Indicative after a negated belief can occur in special echo or corrective contexts, but it does not give the intended ordinary disbelief reading here.
Related Patterns
- Sequence of Tenses (Present)
This is the foundational rule for the present sequence. The current pattern explains the past-tense counterpart, completing the core concept of tense agreement.
Level 5 - tuviera/hiciera/pudiera/pusiera/quisiera/supiera/dijera/vinieraCommon Imperfect Subjunctive Irregulars
Many of the most common verbs have irregular forms in the imperfect subjunctive. This pattern lists them, which is essential for applying the sequence of tenses rule correctly.
Level 4 - -ara/-aras/-ara/-áramos/-arais/-aranImperfect Subjunctive -AR (-ra)
This is the conjugation pattern for the imperfect subjunctive. You cannot apply the sequence of tenses rule without knowing how to form these verbs.
Level 4 - quiero que + SubjunctiveSubjunctive with Wishes
Quiero que commonly takes present subjunctive for a current or future wish; compare quería que + imperfect subjunctive for a past viewpoint, while tense follows the intended time relation.
Level 3 - si + Imperfect Subjunctive + ConditionalUnreal Si Clauses (Present)
This pattern shows another major use of the imperfect subjunctive, helping learners see its broader application in hypothetical sentences beyond the sequence of tenses.
Level 4 - dudo que + SubjunctiveSubjunctive with Doubt
This is another common trigger for the subjunctive. The contrast between 'dudo que sea' (present) and 'dudaba que fuera' (past) perfectly illustrates the sequence of tenses.
Level 3
Practice quería que viniera / quiere que venga in Bubblegum
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