Spanish 3 – Unit 4 Patterns Study Sheet

Spanish 3 – Unit 4
Patterns
Study Sheet
Page 2 of 8
• (I don't need to develop the pictures because I have taken them with a digital
camera.)
The past perfect tense describes an action that took place in the past before another past
action. This form is also known as the "pluperfect".
• Me dieron una multa porque había estacionado el coche enfrente de una boca de
incendios.
• (I got a ticket because I had parked the car in front of a fire hydrant.)
The future perfect tense describes an action that will occur in the future before some other
action.
• Cuando yo viaje a la República Dominicana este verano, ya habré cumplido veinte
años.
• (When I travel to the Dominican Republic this summer I will have already turned
twenty.)
The conditional perfect tense describes an action that would have happened at an indefinite
time in the past before some other action. It is usually matched with an "if" clause
(beginning with si) which expresses the condition.
• Habría disfrutado más las vacaciones en el Caribe si hubiera tenido más dinero.
• (I would have enjoyed my vacation in the Caribbean more if I had more money.)
The present perfect subjunctive tense describes an action that might have happened before
the action of the main verb in the present, future, present perfect, or the command form.
Or, it expresses an emotional reaction to something that happened in the past.
• No estoy seguro de que mis maletas hayan llegado.
• (I'm not sure that my suitcases have arrived.)
• Lamento mucho que te hayas caído.
• (I'm very sorry that you fell down.)
The past perfect / imperfect subjunctive tense describes an action that might have or could
have happened before the action of the main verb in the past. In most cases, it is found in
an "if" (si) clause and expresses something contrary to fact.
• Si hubiéramos tenido más tiempo, habríamos podido conocer más lugares.
• (If we had had more time, we would have been able to get to know more places.)
Notice that the imperfect subjunctive is used in the first clause (the "if" clause)
and the conditional perfect is used in the main clause.
Remember this:
Mejorarás tu nota en el examen porque has estudiado la gramática.
(You will do better on the exam because you have studied your grammar.)
If you are not yet familiar with some of the tenses and moods discussed above, come back
and review this activity as you cover them to see how to conjugate and use the perfect form
of any verb tense or mood.
© 2002 Power-Glide. All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
No portion of these materials may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express permission of
Power-Glide.