Module 18: The Conditional Tense and Hypothetical Situations

In this module, we will cover the Conditional Tense, which is used to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, and things that would happen under certain conditions. You will learn how to form the conditional, use it for making polite suggestions or requests, and how to pair it with other tenses in complex sentences.

Lesson 1: The Conditional Tense – Formation

Forming the Conditional Tense:

The Conditional Tense is formed by adding the appropriate endings to the infinitive form of the verb. These endings are the same for all verbs (ar, er, ir) and do not change according to the subject.

Conditional Endings:

-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -ían

Example with the verb hablar (to speak):

Yo hablaría – I would speak
Tú hablarías – You would speak
Él/Ella hablaría – He/She would speak
Nosotros hablaríamos – We would speak
Ellos/Ellas hablarían – They would speak

Example with the verb comer (to eat):

Yo comería – I would eat
Tú comerías – You would eat
Él/Ella comería – He/She would eat
Nosotros comeríamos – We would eat
Ellos/Ellas comerían – They would eat

Irregular Verbs in the Conditional:

Some verbs have irregular stems in the conditional tense. However, the endings remain the same as the regular conditional tense.

Examples:

tener (to have) → tendría (I would have)
hacer (to do/make) → haría (I would do/make)
decir (to say) → diría (I would say)
poder (to be able to) → podría (I would be able to)

Note: Even though the stems change, the endings -ía, -ías, etc., are still used.

Lesson 2: Using the Conditional to Express Hypothetical Situations

Forming Hypothetical Sentences:

The Conditional Tense is often used in the second clause of a sentence to describe what would happen if a condition were met. The condition is typically expressed using the imperfect subjunctive (covered in a previous module).

Si yo tuviera dinero, viajaría por el mundo. – If I had money, I would travel the world.
Si él estudiara más, aprobaría el examen. – If he studied more, he would pass the exam.

Structure of Hypothetical Sentences:

Si + imperfect subjunctive, conditional tense.

Types of Hypothetical Situations:

Hypothetical present: What would happen if something were true now. (Si + imperfect subjunctive, conditional)

Si fueras rico, ¿qué harías? – If you were rich, what would you do?

Hypothetical past: What would have happened if something had been true in the past. (Si + past perfect subjunctive, conditional perfect)

Si hubieras estudiado, habrías pasado el examen. – If you had studied, you would have passed the exam.

Lesson 3: Polite Requests and Suggestions

Polite Requests:

The Conditional Tense is often used in Spanish to make polite requests or suggestions, softening the tone and making it more formal.

¿Podrías ayudarme, por favor? – Could you help me, please?
Me gustaría una taza de té. – I would like a cup of tea.
¿Te gustaría ir al cine? – Would you like to go to the movies?

Making Suggestions:

The Conditional is used to make polite suggestions or offer recommendations.

Yo te sugeriría estudiar más. – I would suggest that you study more.

Lesson 4: The Conditional Perfect

Forming the Conditional Perfect:

The Conditional Perfect is formed by combining the conditional of the verb haber with the past participle of the main verb.

Haber in the conditional tense: habría, habrías, habría, habríamos, habrían

Example with the verb comer (to eat):

- - Yo habría comido – I would have eaten
  - Tú habrías comido – You would have eaten
  - Él/Ella habría comido – He/She would have eaten

Using the Conditional Perfect in Hypothetical Past Situations:

The Conditional Perfect is used to talk about actions that would have happened in the past, but didn’t because the condition was not met.

Example:

Si hubiera sabido, habría ido al concierto. – If I had known, I would have gone to the concert.
Si ellos hubieran llegado a tiempo, habrían visto la película. – If they had arrived on time, they would have seen the movie.

End of Module 18: Review

By the end of this module, you will be able to form and use the Conditional Tense to express hypothetical situations, make polite requests, and offer suggestions. Additionally, you will have learned how to use the Conditional Perfect to describe actions that would have taken place in the past if certain conditions had been met. Mastery of these tenses will allow you to engage in more nuanced conversations and communicate in a variety of situations.