DELE B1 Imperfect Subjunctive: Practice Test & Review
The imperfect subjunctive is the B1 threshold topic on the DELE exam. It appears in si clauses, in past-tense wishes and doubts, and in listening sections about hypothetical situations. If you can’t form it or can’t choose it after a past-tense trigger, you’ll lose points in every section.
This page gives you a five-part practice quiz: an evaluation set to see where you stand, three practice sets to drill the forms and uses, and a challenge set to confirm mastery. If you get stuck, scroll down for the full explanation. Ready? Start with the evaluation set below.
Grammar Guide
The Rule
The imperfect subjunctive is used for hypothetical situations, past-tense wishes and doubts, and si clauses that describe unlikely or impossible conditions. It is formed from the third-person plural preterite, dropping -ron and adding the endings -ra, -ras, -ra, -ramos, -rais, -ran.
The imperfect subjunctive appears in two main patterns: after si in hypothetical clauses (Si tuviera tiempo, iría), and after past-tense triggers like quería que, dudaba que, no creía que.
Regular Forms
| Subject | Hablar | Comer | Vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | hablara | comiera | viviera |
| Tú | hablaras | comieras | vivieras |
| Él / Ella / Usted | hablara | comiera | viviera |
| Nosotros | habláramos | comiéramos | viviéramos |
| Vosotros | hablarais | comierais | vivierais |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | hablaran | comieran | vivieran |
All three conjugations share the same endings. The stem comes from the third-person plural preterite: hablaron → habla-, comieron → comie-, vivieron → vivie-.
Irregular Stems
Verbs with irregular third-person plural preterite forms keep that irregularity in the imperfect subjunctive.
| Verb | Preterite (ellos) | Stem | Yo form | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tener | tuvieron | tuv- | tuviera | I would have |
| poner | pusieron | pus- | pusiera | I would put |
| salir | salieron | sal- | saliera | I would leave |
| venir | vinieron | vin- | viniera | I would come |
| poder | pudieron | pud- | pudiera | I would be able |
| querer | quisieron | quis- | quisiera | I would want |
| saber | supieron | sup- | supiera | I would know |
| decir | dijeron | dij- | dijera | I would say |
| hacer | hicieron | hic- | hiciera | I would do |
| haber | hubieron | hub- | hubiera | I would have (auxiliary) |
| ir | fueron | fu- | fuera | I would go |
| ser | fueron | fu- | fuera | I would be |
Ir and ser share the same form: fuera. Context tells you which verb it is.
Si Clauses
| Structure | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Si + imperfect subjunctive + conditional | Hypothetical present or future | Si tuviera tiempo, iría. | If I had time, I would go. |
| Si + imperfect subjunctive + conditional perfect | Hypothetical past | Si hubiera estudiado, habría aprobado. | If I had studied, I would have passed. |
| Si + present + future | Real condition | Si estudias, aprobarás. | If you study, you will pass. |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the si clause when the condition is unlikely or impossible.
Past-Tense Triggers
| Trigger (past) | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Quería que | Quería que vinieras. | I wanted you to come. |
| Dudaba que | Dudaba que fuera verdad. | I doubted it was true. |
| No creía que | No creía que supieras. | I didn’t believe you knew. |
| Esperaba que | Esperaba que llegaras. | I hoped you would arrive. |
| No pensaba que | No pensaba que fuera posible. | I didn’t think it was possible. |
When the main verb is in the past, the subordinate verb goes into the imperfect subjunctive.
Common Mistakes
- Using the present subjunctive after a past-tense trigger.
✗ Quería que vengas.
✓ Quería que vinieras.
Quería (past) requires the imperfect subjunctive, not the present subjunctive. - Using the conditional in the si clause.
✗ Si tendría tiempo, iría.
✓ Si tuviera tiempo, iría.
The si clause takes the imperfect subjunctive, never the conditional. - Using the present tense in a hypothetical si clause.
✗ Si tengo tiempo, iría.
✓ Si tuviera tiempo, iría.
A hypothetical requires the imperfect subjunctive in the si clause and the conditional in the main clause. - Forgetting the accent on the nosotros form.
✗ Si hablaramos más, entenderíamos.
✓ Si habláramos más, entenderíamos.
The nosotros form carries an accent on the vowel before -ramos.
Quick Decision Chart
| Ask yourself | Answer | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Is it a hypothetical si clause? | Yes | Imperfect subjunctive |
| Is the main verb in the past? | Yes | Imperfect subjunctive in the subordinate clause |
| Is it a wish or doubt in the past? | Yes | Imperfect subjunctive |
| Is the condition real and present? | Yes | Present tense + future |
| Is it a polite request in the present? | Yes | Present subjunctive or conditional |
| Does the verb have an irregular preterite stem? | Yes | Use that stem + imperfect subjunctive endings |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
Si tengo tiempo, iré al cine.
If I have time, I will go to the cinema.
- Tengo = present (real condition), iré = future
Si tuviera tiempo, iría al cine.
If I had time, I would go to the cinema.
- Tuviera = imperfect subjunctive (hypothetical), iría = conditional
Quiero que vengas.
I want you to come.
- Quiero = present, vengas = present subjunctive
Quería que vinieras.
I wanted you to come.
- Quería = past, vinieras = imperfect subjunctive
