The sequence of
tenses depends on the fact they describe.
Example:
Subió
la escalera y se cayó.
= He climbed the ladder and fell down.
Estuvo en el hospital
porque se había caído de la
escalera.
= He was in hospital, because he had fallen
down the ladder.
Si sube la escalera
seguramente se va a caer.
= If he climbs the ladder, he sure is going
to fall down.
Si no hubiera subido
la escalera no se habría caído.
= If he did not climb the ladder, he wouldn't
have fallen down.
Mañana se habrá
quebrado una piedra, porque subirá
la escalera.
= Tomorrow, he will have broken a leg, because
he will climb the ladder.
This type of sentences is simple. It does not matter
at what point of time the speaker is. The rules of
chapter 6 apply here fully.
When the position of the speaker comes to focus because
the action described is something thought, imagined,
wished or feared, the position of the speaker within
the time span is important. Have a look.
Example:
Pienso
y por lo tanto soy. = I think and therefore
I am.
Pensé y por
lo tanto fui. = I thought and therefore
I was.
Pensé y por
lo tanto hube sido. = I thought and
therefore I had been.
Pienso y por lo tanto
seré. = I think and therefore
I will be.
Pensé y por
lo tanto sería. = I thought
and therefore I would be.
Pienso y por lo tanto
fuí. = I think and therefore I was.
We see it's not that easy anymore because we have a
second dimension, the first one is the action itself
and the second is the focus on the person that produces
(by thinking, imagining, wishing etc.) these actions.
Case I: The sequence
of actions are independent of the person thinking
/ talking about it
1) You smoke
so many cigarettes that you will fall ill
of cancer.
2) You have
smoked so many cigarettes that you are ill
of cancer now.
3) If you
are going to smoke cigarettes, you will fall
ill of cancer.
Case II: The
sequence of action is appended by the person
reporting about it (by being in one or the
other way mentally involved
If the
point of time of speaking and the point
of time of being involved in the sequence
of action NOT identical it can get a bit
challenging.
1.a) I always
thought that you smoke so many cigarettes
that you would fall ill.
1.b) I
will think that you have smoked so many
cigarettes that you fell ill of cancer.
1.c) I think
that you smoke so many cigarettes that you
will fall ill of cancer.
2.a) I thought
that you had smoked so many cigarettes that
you are sick of cancer.
2.b) I
will think that you have smoked so many
cigarettes that you are ill with cancer.
2.c) I think
that you have smoked so many cigarettes that
you are ill with cancer now.
3.a) I thought
if you are going to smoke so many cigarettes
you will fall ill of cancer.
3.b) I
will think that when you are going to smoke
cigarettes, you will fall ill of cancer.
3.c) I think
that when you are going to smoke cigarettes
you will fall ill of cancer.
Is the introductory verb in present tense then there
is no difference between the case I and case II. This
is important to realise, because it means for the Spanish
grammar that the rules of chapter
6 apply when the introductory verb is in a "present"
tense (presente,pretérito
perfecto, futuro I und
futuro II).
Is the verb in a past tense (pretérito
imperfecto, pretérito
indefinido, plusquamperfecto)
there are rules to be taken into consideration. We will
have a look at them. Ffirst to remind you; Is the
involvement of the speaking person in the present (tense)
there are no differences to the "normal" use
of the tenses.
1) case I:
You smoke so many cigarettes that you will
fall ill of cancer.
1.c) case
II: I think that you smoke so many cigarettes
that you will fall ill of cancer.
2) case I:
You have smoke so many cigarettes that you
are ill of cancer.
2.c) case
II: I think that you have smoked so many
cigarettes that you are ill of cancer now.
3) case I:
If you are going to smoke cigarettes you will
fall ill of cancer.
3.c) case
II: I think that you will smoke so many
cigarettes that you will fall ill of cancer.
As was to be seen in this table there is no difference
between the two cases if the introductory verb is in
a present tense. Then the point of time of the involvement
of the speaker and the point of time of speaking is
the same.
To understand the problem we have a look at this sentence
Example:
Cortaron el
árbol. = They
cut the tree.
Now
it's clear that the time has to be changed
"before" Creyó que habían cortado
el árbol. =
He thought that they had cut the tree.
"same
time"
Creyó que cortaban el árbol.
= He thought that
they cut the tree.
"after"
Creyó que cortarían
el árbol. =
He thought that they would cut the tree.
The rules discussed in chapter
6 are not valid anymore. If the action is before
the mental involvement of the speaker, the pretérito
plusquamperfecto is
to be used. Is the mental involvement at the same time
the imperfecto
is the right choice, with the action after the point
of involvement the right tense is the condicional.
The overall
the situation is this
present
tenses
presente
pretérito perfecto
futuro
futuro perfecto
The
tenses are according to the logic described
in chapter
6.
action at the same time as involvement: pretérito imperfecto
action after involvement and not yet finished: condicional simple
action after involvement and finished: condicional compuesto
Note:
The logic is described here for the indicative, however the logic is the same in case that the verb that describes the mental evolvement requires the subjuntivo. Furthermore, please note that
verbs like suponer
(to suppose), creer (to believe, to think),
pensar (to
think) and presumir
(to assume) do not require the subjuntivo.
Rather impersonal expressions of doubt
require the subjuntivo. The whole picture, including indicativo and subjuntivo is explained here.
