2.7.5: Gramática-el subjuntivo en cláusulas adverbiales

The final kind of clause that uses the subjunctive is called an adverbial clause.  Adverbs modify a verb or an adjective. In Spanish they don’t have gender because neither verbs nor adjectives have gender themselves.  Examples:

La chica corre muy rápido

(masculine because rápido is not referring to the chica but rather corre)

Ella es muy alta.

Muy is an adverb.

The adverbial clauses we are going to focus on in this chapter are all time-related.  The adverbial clauses fall into three groups:

1. The relationship between the main clause and the subordinate clause is in the past.  THESE CLAUSES ALWAYS USE THE INDICATIVE.
2. The relationship between the main clause and the subordinate clause is in the future. THESE CLAUSES ALWAYS USE THE SUBJUNCTIVE.
3. The relationship between the main clause and the subordinate clause can be habitual or can refer to the future.  These ones are tricky because using the subjunctive or the indicative will change the meaning of the sentence.