ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a step-by-step instructions and explains the use of the subjunctive in modern Spanish. The subjunctive forms always signal that a predicate is not only syntactically subordinated, but that it depends semantically and pragmatically on a higher predicate. The subjunctive gives the speaker the opportunity to say things without committing to their actual existence or truth. Coordinated predicates have pretty much the same level of importance and are connected with commas or coordinating conjunctions. Coordinated predicates or clauses are relatively independent and can be made into independent sentences. Subordinated predicates are, as their name suggests, subordinated under another predicate that is called the main predicate. The most common conjunction to mark subordination is that in English and que in Spanish. With the subjunctive the speaker cannot refer directly to extra-linguistic facts, but only indirectly through the expression of his attitude.
