Module 16: Advanced Verb Forms – The Future Subjunctive and Future Perfect

In this module, we will explore two advanced verb forms: the Future Subjunctive and the Future Perfect. While these tenses are not as commonly used in everyday conversation, they are important for advanced learners and formal contexts. By the end of this module, you will understand their structure, uses, and how to apply them correctly.

Lesson 1: The Future Subjunctive

Forming the Future Subjunctive:

The Future Subjunctive is formed by taking the third person plural (ellos/ellas) form of the preterite tense, removing the “-ron” ending, and adding the appropriate endings:

-re, -res, -re, -remos, -ren

Example:

hablar (to talk) → hablaron (preterite) → hablare, hablares, hablare, habláramos, hablaren
comer (to eat) → comieron (preterite) → comiere, comieres, comiere, comiéremos, comieren
vivir (to live) → vivieron (preterite) → viviere, vivieres, viviere, viviéremos, vivieren

Uses of the Future Subjunctive:

The Future Subjunctive is rarely used in spoken language today. It appears mostly in legal, literary, or historical texts.

Example sentence (legal context):

Si el demandado no entregare los documentos, se tomará acción legal. – If the defendant does not submit the documents, legal action will be taken.

Key Note:

While the Future Subjunctive is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it’s important to recognize it, especially when reading formal or historical texts in Spanish.

Lesson 2: The Future Perfect

Forming the Future Perfect:

The Future Perfect is formed by combining the future tense of the verb haber (to have) with the past participle of the main verb.

The future tense of haber:

habré, habrás, habrá, habremos, habrán

Example with the verb hablar (to speak):

habré hablado – I will have spoken
habrás hablado – you will have spoken
habrá hablado – he/she/it will have spoken
habremos hablado – we will have spoken
habrán hablado – they will have spoken

Example sentences:

Para cuando llegues, yo ya habré terminado el trabajo. – By the time you arrive, I will have already finished the work.
Ellos habrán llegado a las 5 de la tarde. – They will have arrived by 5 PM.

Uses of the Future Perfect:

To express an action that will be completed before another point in the future.
To speculate about an action that may have been completed in the future.

Example sentences:

¿Qué habrán hecho cuando lleguemos? – What will they have done by the time we arrive?
Seguramente habrán terminado la tarea. – They surely will have finished the task.

Lesson 3: Using the Future Perfect in Context

Future Expectations:

The Future Perfect can express expectations or assumptions about what will have been completed at a future moment.

Example sentences:

Para el próximo mes, habremos lanzado el producto. – By next month, we will have launched the product.
Ellos habrán decidido antes del viernes. – They will have decided before Friday.

Hypothetical Situations:

The Future Perfect can be used to hypothesize or speculate about actions that could have been completed by a certain point in the future.

Example sentence:

No sé si él habrá llegado ya. – I don’t know if he will have arrived yet.

Lesson 4: Future Subjunctive vs. Future Perfect

Compare and contrast the Future Subjunctive and the Future Perfect, understanding the different contexts in which each is used.

The Future Subjunctive is used in formal, legal, and literary contexts to express hypothetical actions in the future that depend on certain conditions.

Example:

Si ello fuere posible, habría que cambiar las leyes. – If that were possible, the laws would need to be changed.

The Future Perfect is used to describe actions that will be completed at a specific point in the future.

Example:

Habrá terminado para el lunes. – He will have finished by Monday.

End of Module 16: Review

By the end of this module, you will have a strong understanding of two advanced verb forms: the Future Subjunctive and the Future Perfect. While the Future Subjunctive is more commonly found in formal or literary contexts, the Future Perfect is essential for expressing future actions that will have been completed by a certain point. Mastery of these forms will allow you to engage with complex texts and communicate future events in more detail.