The document discusses various ways to express the future and conditional in English and Spanish. [1] In both languages, the future can be expressed using the present tense with adverbials indicating future time, or by using modal verbs like "will" in English or by adding endings to the infinitive in Spanish. [2] Similarly, the conditional is expressed in English using "would" plus the verb, while in Spanish it uses regular endings added to the infinitive. [3] Both the future and conditional tenses in Spanish are formed regularly, though some common verbs are irregular in their infinitive forms.

1. The Future and The Conditional
E. Siler

2. A New Tense: The Future
• Less used than most tenses in academic
Spanish.
• Like English there are multiple ways of
expressing the future.

3. English
• There is no real future “tense” in English . . .
• But there are multiple ways of expressing the
future.

4. The Present to the Future
• Simple present tense verbs, used with very
specific adverbials, can express the future.
– I leave tomorrow at 8 a.m
• Present progressive (present tense of BE + the –
ing participle) constructions, usually also used
with specific adverbials, can also express the
future.
– I am leaving (tomorrow at 8 a.m.)
• Present progressive of “to go” with an infinitive.
– I am going to leave (tomorrow at 8 a.m).

5. The Future with a Modal
• English has a category of fixed verbs called
modals.
• These never change for number.
• Many of them, used with a simple verb, can
express the future.
• Examples of modals: can/could; will/shall;
may/might . .
• The most common future expressing modal is
will.

6. Examples
• I may leave (tomorrow).
• I will leave (tomorrow).
• I should leave (tomorrow).
• I can leave (tomorrow).
• I could leave (to morrow).

7. The Future in Spanish
• There are also many ways to express the
future in Spanish.
• Many of these parallel ways expressed in
English.

8. The Present to the Future
• Simple present tense used with an adverbial.
– Salgomañana a lasocho. (I leave tomorrow at 8).
• A simple present tense version of “ir” (to go)
followed by the preposition “a” and an
infinitive.
Person Singular Plural
First Yovoy a hablar Nosotros/vamos a
hablar
Second Tú vas a hablar/ Ustedes van a
Ustedva a hablar hablar
Third Él/Ellava a hablar Ellos/Ellas van a
hablar

9. A Major Difference
• Spanish has no modals as English does.
• Instead, to make the future, the infinitive is
used, and endings are added.
• The only good news is this: the endings are
the same regardless of the category of
infinitive (-ar, -ir, and –er).
• Most verbs are regular (meaning that the
infinitive does not change before adding the
endings) but there are a few irregulars.

10. The endings
• Any Infinitive + These endings (NOTE
ACCENTS!!!)
Person Singular Plural
First Yohablaré Nosotros/nosotras
hablaremos
Second Tuhablarás/Ustedh Ustedeshablarán
ablará
Third Él/Ella hablará Ellos/ellashablarán

11. The irregulars
• There are a few infinitives that change slightly
before adding the future endings.
• These are listed on p. 75 of the grammar.
• Sadly, most of them are the high frequency
verbs.
• So they need to be learned cold.

12. The Conditional
• English expresses the idea of condition with
the modal “would” and the simple form of the
verb.
• Because a modal is used, there is no number
agreement.
Person Singular Plural
First I would know We would know
Second You would know You would know
Third He/she/it would They would know
know

13. Spanish
• The conditional in Spanish is formed by a set
of regular endings added to the infinitive.
• The basic formation pattern is the same as the
future --- it’s just that the endings are
different.

14. Example
• Infinitive + These Endings (NOTE ACCENTS!!!)
Person Singular Plural
First Yohablaría Nosotros/nosotras
hablaríamos
Second Túhablarías/ Ustedeshablarían
Ustedhablaría
Third Él/ellahablaría Ellos/Ellashablarían

15. Important Notes
• Note that the actual conditional ENDINGS are
practically identical to the –er/ir endings of
the imperfect.
• But the imperfect is formed by DROPPING the
–er/ar/ir ending and adding endings.
• The conditional is formed by keeping the
infinitive intact and ADDING the endings.

16. CONTRAST
• Yocomía/ yocomería
• I was eating/ I would eat
• Juan vivía/ Juan viviría
• Juan was living/ Juan would live. . .

17. Another Note
• The basic formation pattern of the conditional
and the future are the same --- but the
endings are different.
• The conditional also has a few irregular
infinitive bases.
• The irregular bases are the same in the
conditional and the future. See p. 75/76 of
the grammar for more on this.

18. Perfects – A Review
• Perfects in English (as previously studied) are
formed by a form of “have” and the past
participle.
• Depending on the tense of “have” the present
perfect or the past perfect are formed.
– I have studied Spanish for ten years.
– I had studied Spanish for ten years.

19. Spanish
• As previously studied, Spanish can form the
present and past perfects with a form of
“haber” and an past participle that ends in
(usually) –ado/ido.
– Yo he hablado
– Yohabíahablado

20. Perfects in the Future
• In English: Will + have + past participle.
• Example: I will have studied for ten years.
• In Spanish: Future of “haber” + past
participle. Note: the infinitive root of “haber”
is irregular.
Person Singular Plural
First Yohabréhablado Nosotros/ashabrem
oshablado
Second Túhabráshablado/u Ustedeshabránhabl
stedhabráhablado ado
Third Él/Ella Ellos/Ellashabránha

21. Perfects with the Conditional
• In English: Would have + past participle
• Example: I would have bought that book.
• In Spanish: Conditional of “haber” + past
participle.
Person Singular Plural
First Yohabríacomprado. Nosotros/ashabría
. moscomprado
Second Túhabríascomprado Ustedeshabríanco
/Ustedhabríacompr mprado
ado
Third Él/Ella Ellos/Ellashabríanc