2. A New Tense: The Future
• Less used than most tenses in academic
Spanish.
• Like English there are multiple ways of
expressing the future.
3. English
• There is no real future “tense” in English . . .
• But there are multiple ways of expressing the
future.
4. The Present to the Future
• Simple present tense verbs, used with very
specific adverbials, can express the future.
– I leave tomorrow at 8 a.m
• Present progressive (present tense of BE + the –
ing participle) constructions, usually also used
with specific adverbials, can also express the
future.
– I am leaving (tomorrow at 8 a.m.)
• Present progressive of “to go” with an infinitive.
– I am going to leave (tomorrow at 8 a.m).
5. The Future with a Modal
• English has a category of fixed verbs called
modals.
• These never change for number.
• Many of them, used with a simple verb, can
express the future.
• Examples of modals: can/could; will/shall;
may/might . .
• The most common future expressing modal is
will.
6. Examples
• I may leave (tomorrow).
• I will leave (tomorrow).
• I should leave (tomorrow).
• I can leave (tomorrow).
• I could leave (to morrow).
7. The Future in Spanish
• There are also many ways to express the
future in Spanish.
• Many of these parallel ways expressed in
English.
8. The Present to the Future
• Simple present tense used with an adverbial.
– Salgomañana a lasocho. (I leave tomorrow at 8).
• A simple present tense version of “ir” (to go)
followed by the preposition “a” and an
infinitive.
Person Singular Plural
First Yovoy a hablar Nosotros/vamos a
hablar
Second Tú vas a hablar/ Ustedes van a
Ustedva a hablar hablar
Third Él/Ellava a hablar Ellos/Ellas van a
hablar
9. A Major Difference
• Spanish has no modals as English does.
• Instead, to make the future, the infinitive is
used, and endings are added.
• The only good news is this: the endings are
the same regardless of the category of
infinitive (-ar, -ir, and –er).
• Most verbs are regular (meaning that the
infinitive does not change before adding the
endings) but there are a few irregulars.
10. The endings
• Any Infinitive + These endings (NOTE
ACCENTS!!!)
Person Singular Plural
First Yohablaré Nosotros/nosotras
hablaremos
Second Tuhablarás/Ustedh Ustedeshablarán
ablará
Third Él/Ella hablará Ellos/ellashablarán
11. The irregulars
• There are a few infinitives that change slightly
before adding the future endings.
• These are listed on p. 75 of the grammar.
• Sadly, most of them are the high frequency
verbs.
• So they need to be learned cold.
12. The Conditional
• English expresses the idea of condition with
the modal “would” and the simple form of the
verb.
• Because a modal is used, there is no number
agreement.
Person Singular Plural
First I would know We would know
Second You would know You would know
Third He/she/it would They would know
know
13. Spanish
• The conditional in Spanish is formed by a set
of regular endings added to the infinitive.
• The basic formation pattern is the same as the
future --- it’s just that the endings are
different.
14. Example
• Infinitive + These Endings (NOTE ACCENTS!!!)
Person Singular Plural
First Yohablaría Nosotros/nosotras
hablaríamos
Second Túhablarías/ Ustedeshablarían
Ustedhablaría
Third Él/ellahablaría Ellos/Ellashablarían
15. Important Notes
• Note that the actual conditional ENDINGS are
practically identical to the –er/ir endings of
the imperfect.
• But the imperfect is formed by DROPPING the
–er/ar/ir ending and adding endings.
• The conditional is formed by keeping the
infinitive intact and ADDING the endings.
16. CONTRAST
• Yocomía/ yocomería
• I was eating/ I would eat
• Juan vivía/ Juan viviría
• Juan was living/ Juan would live. . .
17. Another Note
• The basic formation pattern of the conditional
and the future are the same --- but the
endings are different.
• The conditional also has a few irregular
infinitive bases.
• The irregular bases are the same in the
conditional and the future. See p. 75/76 of
the grammar for more on this.
18. Perfects – A Review
• Perfects in English (as previously studied) are
formed by a form of “have” and the past
participle.
• Depending on the tense of “have” the present
perfect or the past perfect are formed.
– I have studied Spanish for ten years.
– I had studied Spanish for ten years.
19. Spanish
• As previously studied, Spanish can form the
present and past perfects with a form of
“haber” and an past participle that ends in
(usually) –ado/ido.
– Yo he hablado
– Yohabíahablado
20. Perfects in the Future
• In English: Will + have + past participle.
• Example: I will have studied for ten years.
• In Spanish: Future of “haber” + past
participle. Note: the infinitive root of “haber”
is irregular.
Person Singular Plural
First Yohabréhablado Nosotros/ashabrem
oshablado
Second Túhabráshablado/u Ustedeshabránhabl
stedhabráhablado ado
Third Él/Ella Ellos/Ellashabránha
21. Perfects with the Conditional
• In English: Would have + past participle
• Example: I would have bought that book.
• In Spanish: Conditional of “haber” + past
participle.
Person Singular Plural
First Yohabríacomprado. Nosotros/ashabría
. moscomprado
Second Túhabríascomprado Ustedeshabríanco
/Ustedhabríacompr mprado
ado
Third Él/Ella Ellos/Ellashabríanc
