Spanish Subordinate Clauses and Conditional Structures

Comparative and Follow-up Subordinate Clauses

1. Causal Subordinate Clauses

Causal subordinate clauses express the reason why the main action happens. For example: The car will not start because there is no fuel.

• They are sometimes implicit conditionals. For instance: No one, because (if anyone were there), would have lifted the blinds.
• The conjunction "because" links to others such as "as" (used to draw attention).
• "As" can be conditional: "As you do not come soon (if you don't come), we're going." It acts with conjunctival and sweeping force.
• Causal clauses may precede the main clause, except for "as," which always goes ahead: "I did not answer as I thought you were sleeping."

2. Final Subordinate Clauses

Final subordinate clauses explain why the main action takes place; that is, its purpose. For example: We must return to the hospital to cure your wounds.

• The most common utterances used are "to" and "so that."
• Other phrases include "in order that," "with the intention that," and "so that."
• These are always built using the subjunctive mood.

3. Conditional Subordinate Clauses

These clauses establish a condition for the fulfillment of the principal action.

• Structure: "If I wait" (protasis), "we'll go" (apodosis).
• The protasis can make compliance a condition that is either possible or impossible: "If I were reborn, I would be a bullfighter." This affects the verbal mode (subjunctive).
• Conditional conjunctions and phrases: "If," "when," "in the case of," and "than."
• Examples: "You're going to be purple if you eat all those cakes." or "This will be true when he says it."
• Other phrases: "We are waiting downstairs in the case of the lift operating," "on condition that," "whenever," "so that," or "only if."
• Example: "I'll help provided you help me." NB: All of these can be replaced by "if."
• Conditionals can also be formed using the imperative, infinitive, gerund, and participle:
  • Do that and they will laugh at you (If you do that...).
  • If you continue like that, you will end up suspended (If you keep that up...).
  • Continuing along this path, you will not go far (If you follow...).
  • Placed elsewhere, this vase looks better (If you put it...).

4. Concessive Subordinate Clauses

Concessive clauses preclude a challenge to meeting the primary action but do not make it impossible. For example: "I am very tired, but I will go."

• Common conjunctions: "even though" and "despite + infinitive."
• Structures:
  • By + [word] + that: "However much she cries, she will get nothing."
  • To + infinitive: "Despite being rich, he cannot buy it."
  • So + adjective: "So rich as he is, and he is not liked?"
  • Even + gerund: "Even paying for it, it is not sold."

5. Gerund Subordinate Clauses

Recall that the gerund functions as a verbal adverb. It can represent various types of subordinate relationships:

• Time: "Climbing the stairs, I found the keys."
• Manner: "He entered making no noise." (Used without commas).
• Cause: "Knowing his character, I did not want to say anything."
• Condition: "We do not understand him crying all the time."
• Concessive: "He even went to work feeling bad."