What is the Difference Between Subjunctive and Indicative?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The difference between the subjunctive and indicative moods lies in the level of certainty and the context in which they are used. Here are the key differences:
- Subjunctive mood:
- Used to describe hypothetical scenarios or to express wishes, recommendations, or demands (e.g., "I insist he stop talking," "I wish I were an astronaut").
- Refers to desires, doubts, wishes, conjectures, emotions, and possibilities.
- Generally used when the certainty of the action or state is uncertain or subjective.
- Indicative mood:
- Used to express facts (e.g., "It is sunny today").
- Refers to objective and certain information, such as facts, descriptions, and scheduled events.
- Generally used when the certainty of the action or state is certain or objective.
In summary, the subjunctive mood is used to express subjective experiences, doubts, and wishes, while the indicative mood is used to express objective and certain information. When deciding which mood to use, consider the level of certainty and the context of the sentence.
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between Subjunctive and Indicative? Comparative Table: Subjunctive vs Indicative
Comparative Table: Subjunctive vs Indicative
The difference between the subjunctive and indicative moods lies in their purpose. Here is a table summarizing their main differences:
Feature | Subjunctive | Indicative |
---|---|---|
Expression of | Uncertainty, wishes, doubts, desires, and emotions | Objective facts and certainty |
Purpose | To express subjective experiences like wishes, desires, doubts, uncertainty, and personal opinions and feelings | To express known facts, actions, or events that have happened or will happen |
Time Frame | Present, past simple, and future | Present, imperfect, perfect, pluperfect, past simple, past perfect |
Use in Latin | Rarely | Primarily found in old phrases and mottos in modern English |
Use in Spanish | To express emotions, recommendations, doubts, uncertainty, and hope | To express facts, certainties, and known actions |
Key Expressions | "Si" (if) with "cum" (although, since, or whereas), "Estoy seguro(a) que…" (I am sure that…), "Es cierto que…" (It is true that…) | "MarÃa se alegra" (Maria is happy), "Creo que MarÃa se alegra" (I believe that Maria is happy) |
In summary, the subjunctive mood is used to express subjective experiences and uncertainties, while the indicative mood is used to express objective facts and certainties.
Read more:
- Conditional vs Subjunctive
- Imperative vs Interrogative Sentences
- Objective vs Subjective
- Direct Objects vs Indirect Objects
- Should vs Would
- Subject vs Object
- Direct vs Indirect Questions
- Subject vs Object Pronouns
- Nominative vs Accusative
- Interrogative Pronoun vs Interrogative Adjective
- Demonstrative Pronoun vs Demonstrative Adjective
- Does vs Is
- Predicate Nominative vs Direct Object
- Noun vs Subject
- Relative Clause vs Subordinate Clause
- Subject Complement vs Direct Object
- Conjunction Coordinating Conjunction vs Subordinating Conjunction
- Gerund vs Infinitive
- Imperative vs Exclamatory Sentence