Spanish I (SPAN 101) Subjunctive vs Indicative Study Guide: Trigger Phrases, Commands, and Sentence Patterns
University of New Mexico
Spanish I (SPAN 101) | Study Guide

Overview
A Spanish grammar guide for deciding between indicative and subjunctive mood, recognizing common trigger phrases, forming basic commands, and avoiding translation traps.

Key topics
•indicative vs subjunctive meaning
•WEIRDO-style triggers and uncertainty phrases
•present subjunctive formation steps
•formal commands and negative commands
•sentence patterns with que and subject change

Suggested study tasks
•sort 30 trigger phrases into indicative or subjunctive
•conjugate 20 present subjunctive verbs
•rewrite 10 statements as recommendations or doubts
•practice 12 formal command prompts
•build a mood-selection checklist

Common pitfalls
•using subjunctive after every que
•forgetting subject change
•mixing present indicative yo forms into commands
•ignoring irregular subjunctive stems
•translating English word-for-word instead of checking mood trigger