Make Impersonal Judgments with the Subjunctive
Evaluations such as es importante que frame an action as desirable, necessary, or surprising. Separate these judgments from factual assertions such as es evidente que, which favour the indicative.
Learning objective
Distinguish evaluative impersonal triggers from factual impersonal statements.
An impersonal expression evaluates a situation without naming a personal evaluator. Es importante que descanses and es necesario que salgamos frame actions as desirable or necessary, so their finite clauses normally use the subjunctive.
Si el consejo es general y no introduces otro sujeto, usa infinitivo: Es importante descansar. Con una cláusula finita, la terminación verbal identifica a quien realiza la acción: Es importante que descanses; Es importante que descansen.
Factual impersonal expressions behave differently. Es evidente que hay un error and es cierto que faltan datos assert information with the indicative. The contrast is between evaluation and assertion, not between stronger and weaker vocabulary.
Algunas expresiones cambian de modo con la negación o con la intención discursiva: No es seguro que lleguen suspende la certeza. Antes de conjugar, decide si presentas un hecho, emites un juicio o propones una conducta pendiente.
Examples
Es fundamental que cada persona compruebe sus datos.
It is essential for everyone to check their details.
Natural English uses for everyone rather than reproducing Spanish que word for word.
Conviene revisar el presupuesto antes de enviarlo.
It is advisable to check the budget before sending it.
The infinitive keeps the recommendation general without a finite subordinate subject.
Es evidente que el archivo contiene información antigua.
It is clear that the file contains outdated information.
The factual assertion favours indicative contiene; outdated is more idiomatic than old for superseded information.
No es seguro que la reparación dure toda la semana.
It isn't certain that the repair will take the whole week.
Negated certainty leaves duration unresolved and licenses subjunctive dure.
Common mistake
- Instead of
- Es importante que revisas la dirección, pero es evidente que sea incorrecta.
- Try
- Es importante que revises la dirección, pero es evidente que es incorrecta.
The first clause evaluates a pending action and requires subjunctive revises. The second asserts the address's condition as evident and therefore uses indicative es. One connector que introduces two different stances.
Practice
Try it yourself
Draft a six-point safety briefing. Include two general recommendations with infinitives, two assigned responsibilities with es importante que or es necesario que plus subjunctive, one confirmed fact with es evidente que, and one unresolved risk with no es seguro que.