Dependent Subjunctives and Sequence of Tenses

Table of contents

1. Subjunctive Verbs in Dependent Clauses
2. Sequence of Tenses
3. Example: cum Circumstantial
4. Example: quod/quia Causal

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Subjunctive Verbs in Dependent Clauses

Dependent clauses, as explained previously, are sentence units that contain a conjugated verb and are introduced by a subordinating conjunction (like cum or quod/quia) or a subordinating pronoun (like the relative pronoun, quī, quae, quod). All the dependent clauses that we’ve considered so far have used the indicative mood for the verbs contained within them, but certain types of dependent clauses allow for or even require the use of a subjunctive mood verb due to the way that the idea in the dependent clause relates to that in the main clause. For example, if the dependent clause explains why the action of the main verb occurred, but the speaker isn’t sure that the reason being given is true, the use of a subjunctive verb helps create that distancing between the speaker and the idea in the dependent clause.

If you use a subjunctive verb in a dependent clause, the tense of the subjunctive verb that you used must follow a rule called the sequence of tenses.

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Sequence of Tenses

Whenever a subjunctive verb is used in a dependent clause of any kind, its tense is determined by:

1. the tense of the main verb and
2. the temporal relationship of the dependent clause to the independent clause

#1 requires that we identify which part of the sentence is main and which part is dependent, so as to identify more easily the main verb and the dependent verb whose tense relies on the main verb. #2 means that the tense of the dependent verb doesn’t rely on absolute time, in the sense that “present tense” means “now” or “perfect tense” means past, but on relative time. More on this below.

In sum, here are the rules of the sequence of tenses, with explanations of terminology to follow:

Primary sequence and secondary sequence relates to the absolute tense of the main verb: tenses that indicate actions occurring now or in the future (i.e., the present, future, and future perfect) are known as primary tenses, and complex sentences that have a primary tense in the main clause is considered to be “in primary sequence”. Tenses that indicate actions occuring in the past (i.e., the imperfect, perfect, and pluperfect) are known as secondary tenses, and complex sentences that have a secondary tense in the main clause is considered to be “in secondary sequence”.

In either sequence, the tense of the dependent subjunctive verb depends on whether the action of that verb is in progress or incomplete or completed. For sentences in primary sequence, an in progress or incomplete action is denoted by the present subjunctive, while a completed action is denoted by the perfect subjunctive. For sentences in secondary sequence, an in progress or incomplete action is denoted by the imperfect subjunctive, while a completed action is denoted by the pluperfect subjunctive.

Let’s see examples of this in action, using two types of dependent clauses that we already know but nuancing them to include the possibility of a subjunctive verb.

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Example: cum Circumstantial

The conjunction cum has been used in the past to mean “when” or “after”, to indicate a temporal qualification to the main verb (meaning that the dependent clause answers the question at what time did the main verb occur). For example:

• cum nauta in templum it, effigiem deī videt.
  • When the sailor goes into the temple, he sees the statue of the god.

The fact that we use an indicative mood verb in the cum clause (it) helps us understand that that is the question being answered by the cum clause: at what time does the sailor see the statue of the god? When he goes into the temple.

We can also use a subjunctive verb here, however, to alter the question being answered. In this case, for example, the use of a subjunctive verb will indicate the circumstances around the action of the main verb, without necessarily referring to a specific time when the main verb occurs:

• cum nauta in templum eat, effigiem deī videt.
  • When the sailor goes into the temple, he sees the statue of the god.

Note that the translation of the sentence does not change. cum still means “when”, and the dependent verb, though changed into the present subjunctive eat, does not take on subjunctive-sounding helping verbs like “should” or “might.” The subjunctive mood here simply serves to indicate a different kind of question-answer relationship between the main clause and the dependent clause.

(Note: This will not always be the case. Many dependent subjunctives will use subjunctive helping verbs in translation like “should” or “might”, but only specific kinds of dependent subjunctives that we’ll learn later on.)

Remember that the tense of the subjunctive verb is dictated by the sequence of tenses. So, in the same sentence, if we wanted to indicate that the action of going is completed when the action of seeing happens, we need to use the perfect subjunctive:

• cum nauta in templum ierit, effigiem deī videt.
  • After the sailor went into the temple, he sees the statue of the god.

This becomes particularly important when we go into secondary sequence, as the tense of the dependent verb may not be immediately apparent from English phrasings. For example:

• The citizen ran when he saw the enemy.

If the action of seeing was in progress while the action of running was happening (i.e., imagine the citizen keeping an eye on the enemy as he runs away), then we need to use the imperfect subjunctive – we can’t use the perfect tense, though “he saw” sounds like it:

• The citizen ran when he saw the enemy. cīvis cucurrit cum hostem vidēret.

If the action of seeing was completed when the action of running happened (i.e., imagine the citizen turned away and ran without continuing to see / look at the enemy), then we need to use the pluperfect subjunctive, even though the English sounds like the perfect tense:

• The citizen ran when he saw the enemy. cīvis cucurrit cum hostem vīdisset. (Or, “The citizen ran after he had seen the enemy.”)

As you can see, the subjunctive becomes less predictable in terms of translation, and you need to think carefully about how the different clauses in a sentence and the actions that they contain are related.

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Example: quod/quia Causal

Another example of a dependent clause that can take either the indicative mood or the subjunctive mood is a causal clause introduced by the conjunction quod / quia (“because”). In this case, the mood of the dependent verb indicates something about who believes in the reason being offered in the dependent clause for the main verb’s action:

• The indicative mood means that the reason being offered by the quod/quia clause is factual or an opinion held by the speaker.
• The subjunctive mood means that the reason being offered by the quod/quia clause is in doubt or an opinion held by someone other than the speaker.

For example, note the difference in the following:

• vir fessus erat quia librōs ferēbat.
• vir fessus erat quia librōs ferret.

The translation of both sentences is the same: “The man was tired because he was carrying the books.” The difference is in the interpretation of the sentence. If the speaker of the sentence believes truly that the man’s tiredness stems from his carrying the books, the indicative mood is used. However, if the speaker thinks that that reason isn’t true or that someone else believes in the reason, the subjunctive mood is used.

As with cum circumstantial clauses, quod/quia clauses that take the subjunctive mood will follow the sequence of tenses. Thus:

• vir fessus erat quia librōs ferret. The man was tired because he was carrying the books.
• vir fessus erat quia librōs fēcisset. The man was tired because he had carried the books.

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