Conjunctions, negation, questions and commands

Q: When do the coordinating conjunctions y and o change to e and u ?

y becomes e before words starting with the [i] sound ( i- or hi- , except [je]), and o becomes u before words starting with the [o] sound ( o- or ho- ).

Q: What is the difference between using pero , sino , and sino que in Spanish?

Use pero for "but"; use sino after a negative to mean "but rather" before nouns/adjectives; use sino que before a conjugated verb.

Q: Which categories of subordinating conjunctions always trigger the subjunctive mood?

Conjunctions of purpose (e.g. para que ), proviso/condition (e.g. con tal de que ), and supposition/exception (e.g. a menos que ) always take the subjunctive.

Q: How do temporal conjunctions like cuando and en cuanto determine whether to use the indicative or the subjunctive?

Use the subjunctive for future/prospective actions, and the indicative for habitual or completed past actions.

Q: How does the meaning of aunque change depending on whether it is followed by the indicative or the subjunctive?

Aunque + indicative means "even though / although" (a known fact), whereas aunque + subjunctive means "even if" (a hypothetical or unverified situation).

Q: What are the two word order patterns used to form negative sentences in Spanish?

Place no before the verb if the negative word follows it ( No vino nadie ), or place the negative word directly before the verb without no ( Nadie vino ).

Q: What are the key punctuation, accentuation, and word order rules for direct questions in Spanish?

Direct questions use inverted opening and closing marks ( ¿ ... ? ), accents on all question words (e.g., ¿qué? , ¿cómo? ), and subject-verb inversion.

Q: How are commands formed for vosotros , usted , ustedes , and nosotros ?

Affirmative vosotros replaces infinitive -r with -d ; negative vosotros , all usted/ustedes , and nosotros commands use the present subjunctive.

Q: Where are object and reflexive pronouns placed in affirmative versus negative commands?

Pronouns attach directly to the end of affirmative commands (often requiring an accent), but sit before the verb in negative commands.

Spanish 7691 · AQA AS Level · 11 min read · Updated: 7 Sept 2026

Mastering Spanish Grammar: Conjunctions, Negation, Questions, and Commands

Welcome to your complete revision guide for AQA AS Level Spanish (Specification 7691)! This guide breaks down four essential grammatical building blocks: Conjunctions, Negation, Questions, and Commands. Mastering these topics is vital for scoring top marks under Assessment Objective 3 (AO3) across Paper 1 (Listening, Reading, and Writing), Paper 2 (Writing), and Paper 3 (Speaking).

Don't worry if Spanish grammar sometimes feels overwhelming. We will take each concept step-by-step, using clear explanations, practical examples, memory tricks, and direct warnings about common exam pitfalls.

1. Conjunctions (Las Conjunciones)

Conjunctions are joining words. They connect words, phrases, or full sentences. In Spanish, conjunctions are split into two major families: Coordinating Conjunctions and Subordinating Conjunctions.

A. Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions connect elements of equal grammatical importance.

• y (and) \(\rightarrow\) changes to e: When the word following "and" starts with the sound [i] (written as i- or hi-), y changes to e to prevent awkward pronunciation.
Example: padres e hijos (parents and children), español e inglés (Spanish and English).
Note: Do not change y to e before the diphthong sound [je], such as agua y hielo.

• o (or) \(\rightarrow\) changes to u: When the following word begins with the sound [o] (written as o- or ho-), o changes to u.
Example: siete u ocho (seven or eight), mujeres u hombres (women or men).

• pero (but / however): Used to link two contrasting statements.
Example: Estudié mucho, pero no aprobé el examen. (I studied hard, but I didn't pass the exam.)

• sino / sino que (but rather / instead): Used exclusively after a negative statement when correcting or replacing the first element.
- Use sino before a noun, adjective, or preposition: No quiero té sino café. (I don't want tea, but [rather] coffee.)
- Use sino que before a conjugated verb: No me quedé en casa, sino que salí con mis amigos. (I didn't stay at home, but rather went out with my friends.)

B. Subordinating Conjunctions and Mood Selection

Subordinating conjunctions connect a main clause to a dependent clause. In Spanish, the conjunction determines whether the verb in the dependent clause must be in the Indicative (facts/reality) or the Subjunctive (wishes/hypotheticals/uncertainty).

1. Conjunctions of Cause (+ Indicative)

These explain why something happens and always take the indicative mood:
• porque (because): No fui porque estaba enfermo.
• puesto que (since / given that): Puesto que no tienes dinero, yo pagaré.
• ya que (since / seeing that): Ya que estás aquí, ayúdame.

2. Conjunctions of Purpose (+ Subjunctive)

These express goals or intentions and always trigger the subjunctive:
• para que (so that / in order that): Te llamo para que sepas la verdad.
• a fin de que (in order that / so that): Estudia a fin de que saque buenas notas.

3. Conjunctions of Proviso & Condition (+ Subjunctive)

These establish strict conditions and always require the subjunctive:
• con tal (de) que (provided that / as long as): Iré con tal de que vengas conmigo.
• siempre que (provided that / whenever): Te ayudaré siempre que me escuches.
• a condición de que (on condition that): Acepto el trabajo a condición de que me paguen bien.

4. Conjunctions of Supposition & Exception (+ Subjunctive)

These express exceptions and always take the subjunctive:
• a no ser que (unless): Saldremos mañana a no ser que llueva.
• a menos que (unless): No podemos comprarlo a menos que tengamos un descuento.

5. Conjunctions of Time (+ Subjunctive or Indicative)

Conjunctions such as cuando (when), en cuanto / tan pronto como (as soon as), hasta que (until), and mientras (while / as long as) follow a strict two-way rule:
• Future / Prospective action \(\rightarrow\) Subjunctive: En cuanto llegue a casa, te llamaré. (As soon as I arrive home [future], I will call you.)
• Habitual / Past completed action \(\rightarrow\) Indicative: Cuando llego a casa, siempre ceno. (Whenever I arrive home [habit], I always have dinner.) / Cuando llegué a casa, cené. (When I arrived home [past], I had dinner.)

6. Concession: Aunque

• aunque + Indicative = "even though / although" (refers to an established, known fact): Aunque llueve, saldré. (Even though it is raining [it is indeed raining], I will go out.)
• aunque + Subjunctive = "even if" (refers to a hypothetical or unverified situation): Aunque llueva mañana, saldré. (Even if it rains tomorrow [uncertain], I will go out.)

7. Exclamatory "que" Clause Introducer (Receptive Knowledge)

In spoken Spanish, que is frequently used to introduce an emphatic or warning clause:
Example: ¡Cuidado, que se va a quemar la tortilla! (Watch out, the tortilla is going to burn!)

Key Takeaway for Conjunctions: Memorise which conjunctions are 100% subjunctive triggers (para que, a menos que, con tal de que) versus temporal conjunctions (cuando, en cuanto) which depend on whether the action is prospective/future or habitual/past.

2. Negation (La Negación)

Expressing negation in Spanish follows precise structural rules. Unlike standard English, Spanish frequently relies on double or multiple negatives.

A. Core Negative Vocabulary

• no (no / not)
• nunca / jamás (never)
• nada (nothing)
• nadie (nobody / no one)
• ninguno/a/os/as (none / not any) \(\rightarrow\) shortens to ningún before a masculine singular noun: No tengo ningún problema.
• tampoco (neither / not either)
• ni... ni... (neither... nor...)
• ya no (no longer)
• todavía no / aún no (not yet)

B. The Golden Rule of Spanish Negative Word Order

Spanish sentences can structure negative words in two distinct ways:

Pattern 1: Negative word AFTER the verb (Requires "no" before the verb)
If the negative word comes after the conjugated verb, you must place no in front of the verb.
• No vino nadie. (Nobody came.)
• No tengo nada. (I have nothing.)
• No quiero ni café ni té. (I want neither coffee nor tea.)
• No he ido a Madrid tampoco. (I haven't gone to Madrid either.)

Pattern 2: Negative word BEFORE the verb (Omit "no")
If the negative word comes before the conjugated verb, no is dropped completely.
• Nadie vino. (Nobody came. — NEVER write: Nadie no vino)
• Nunca lo he visto. (I have never seen it.)
• Tampoco quiero ir. (I don't want to go either.)

Key Takeaway for Negation: A Spanish verb cannot stand alone before a negative word. If the negative word is after the verb, add no before the verb. If the negative word starts the clause, do not add no.

3. Questions (Las Preguntas)

Forming questions accurately in Spanish involves correct punctuation, interrogative accent marks, and inverted word order.

A. Punctuation and Accent Marks

All direct questions in Spanish must begin with an inverted opening question mark (¿) and end with a closing question mark (?).
Every interrogative word carries an orthographic accent mark (tilde). This distinguishes question words from relative pronouns and conjunctions:

• ¿Qué? (What? / Which?) vs. que (that / which)
• ¿Quién? / ¿Quiénes? (Who?) vs. quien (who / whom)
• ¿Cuál? / ¿Cuáles? (Which? / What?)
• ¿Cómo? (How?) vs. como (as / like)
• ¿Dónde? / ¿Adónde? (Where? / Where to?) vs. donde (where)
• ¿Cuándo? (When?) vs. cuando (when)
• ¿Cuánto/a/os/as? (How much? / How many?) vs. cuanto (as much as)
• ¿Por qué? (Why? — written as two words with an accent) vs. porque (because — one word, no accent)

B. Inversion & Word Order

When asking a question in Spanish, the verb usually moves before the subject (inversion):
• Statement: El profesor ha llegado. (The teacher has arrived.)
• Question: ¿Ha llegado el profesor? (Has the teacher arrived?)
• With question words: ¿Dónde viven tus padres? (Where do your parents live? — Verb viven precedes subject tus padres).

C. Focalised / Dislocated Questions (Receptive Knowledge)

In conversation, Spanish speakers often place a pronoun or topic at the beginning for emphasis before posing the question:
Example: Tú, ¿qué opinas? (You, what do you think?)

Key Takeaway for Questions: Always write both question marks (¿ ... ?), put an accent on every question word (¿qué?, ¿cómo?), and invert the verb and subject.

4. Commands and Imperatives (Los Mandatos)

Commands (the imperative mood) are used to give instructions, orders, and advice. The form changes depending on whether the command is affirmative (Do this!) or negative (Don't do that!), and who you are addressing.

A. The Imperative Matrix

1. Informal Singular (tú):
• Affirmative: Use the 3rd person singular (él/ella) of the present indicative.
- hablar \(\rightarrow\) ¡Habla! (Speak!)
- comer \(\rightarrow\) ¡Come! (Eat!)
- escribir \(\rightarrow\) ¡Escribe! (Write!)
• Negative: Use No + 2nd person singular (tú) of the present subjunctive.
- hablar \(\rightarrow\) ¡No hables!
- comer \(\rightarrow\) ¡No comas!
- escribir \(\rightarrow\) ¡No escribas!

The 8 Irregular Affirmative "tú" Commands:
• decir \(\rightarrow\) di
• hacer \(\rightarrow\) haz
• ir \(\rightarrow\) ve
• poner \(\rightarrow\) pon
• salir \(\rightarrow\) sal
• ser \(\rightarrow\) sé
• tener \(\rightarrow\) ten
• venir \(\rightarrow\) ven
Memory trick: Remember the phrase "Vin Diesel has ten weapons" \(\rightarrow\) Ven, Di, Sal, Haz, Ten, Ve, Pon, Sé.

2. Informal Plural (vosotros/as):
• Affirmative: Replace the final -r of the infinitive with a -d.
- hablar \(\rightarrow\) ¡Hablad!
- comer \(\rightarrow\) ¡Comed!
- escribir \(\rightarrow\) ¡Escribid!
Reflexive Rule: Drop the -d before adding -os: sentarse \(\rightarrow\) ¡Sentaos! (Sit down!).
Exception: irse \(\rightarrow\) ¡idos! (Leave / Go away!).
• Negative: Use No + 2nd person plural (vosotros) of the present subjunctive.
- ¡No habléis! / ¡No comáis! / ¡No escribáis!

3. Formal Singular (usted) & Plural (ustedes):
Both affirmative and negative commands use the present subjunctive.
• Usted: ¡Hable! / ¡No hable! | ¡Coma! / ¡No coma! | ¡Diga! / ¡No diga!
• Ustedes: ¡Hablen! / ¡No hablen! | ¡Coman! / ¡No coman! | ¡Digan! / ¡No digan!

4. First-Person Plural (nosotros/as — "Let's"):
Use the 1st person plural of the present subjunctive.
• ¡Hablemos! / ¡No hablemos! (Let's speak / Let's not speak)
• ¡Comamos! / ¡No comamos! (Let's eat / Let's not eat)
Irregular "ir": The standard affirmative command is ¡Vamos! (Let's go!), but the negative is ¡No vayamos! (Let's not go!).

B. Pronoun Placement with Commands (Crucial AO3 Rule!)

Pronoun position depends strictly on whether the command is affirmative or negative:

Rule 1: Affirmative Commands \(\rightarrow\) Pronouns attach to the END (Enclitic)
Direct, indirect, and reflexive pronouns attach directly to the end of the verb as one single word. When adding pronouns, you must add an orthographic accent to preserve the verb's original stress.
• Dime (Tell me — stress naturally falls on di-)
• ¡Dímelo! (Tell it to me! — accent added on dí- to preserve stress)
• ¡Escúchame! (Listen to me!)
• ¡Hazlo! (Do it!)

Rule 2: Negative Commands \(\rightarrow\) Pronouns sit BEFORE the verb (Proclitic)
Pronouns are placed separately in front of the subjunctive verb.
• ¡No me lo digas! (Don't tell it to me!)
• ¡No te levantes! (Don't get up!)
• ¡No lo hagas! (Don't do it!)

Key Takeaway for Commands: Affirmative tú = 3rd person indicative; negative tú = 2nd person subjunctive. Attach pronouns to the end of affirmative commands (adding accents as needed) and place them before negative commands.

5. Examiner Pitfalls & Common Mistakes Checklist

Review this checklist before your exams to avoid losing easy marks under AO3:

• Phonetic Conjunction Errors: Do not write y historia or o ocho. Always write e historia and u ocho.
• Confusing Pero vs. Sino: Never use pero directly after a negative when substituting or correcting an idea. Write No es rojo sino azul (not pero azul).
• Forgetting Subjunctive Triggers: Conjunctions of purpose and proviso (para que, con tal de que, a no ser que) always require the subjunctive.
• Temporal Future Errors: When cuando or en cuanto refers to a prospective future event, do not use the indicative. Write Cuando llegue el tren, subiremos (not Cuando llega...).
• Negative Syntax Errors: Avoid English-style phrasing like Vi a nadie. Write No vi a nadie or A nadie vi. Never add no when the negative precedes the verb (do not write Nadie no vino).
• Missing Accents on Questions: Always place accents on question words (¿qué?, ¿cuándo?, ¿por qué?) to avoid confusing them with conjunctions.
• Misplaced Command Pronouns: Never write ¡Lo haz!. Always attach pronouns to affirmative commands: ¡Hazlo!, ¡Dímelo!.

Quick check

Can you answer these now?

Open each question to check the key ideas from this chapter.

When do the coordinating conjunctions y and o change to e and u?

y becomes e before words starting with the [i] sound (i- or hi-, except [je]), and o becomes u before words starting with the [o] sound (o- or ho-).

What is the difference between using pero, sino, and sino que in Spanish?

Use pero for "but"; use sino after a negative to mean "but rather" before nouns/adjectives; use sino que before a conjugated verb.

Which categories of subordinating conjunctions always trigger the subjunctive mood?

Conjunctions of purpose (e.g. para que), proviso/condition (e.g. con tal de que), and supposition/exception (e.g. a menos que) always take the subjunctive.

How do temporal conjunctions like cuando and en cuanto determine whether to use the indicative or the subjunctive?

Use the subjunctive for future/prospective actions, and the indicative for habitual or completed past actions.

How does the meaning of aunque change depending on whether it is followed by the indicative or the subjunctive?

Aunque + indicative means "even though / although" (a known fact), whereas aunque + subjunctive means "even if" (a hypothetical or unverified situation).

What are the two word order patterns used to form negative sentences in Spanish?

Place no before the verb if the negative word follows it (No vino nadie), or place the negative word directly before the verb without no (Nadie vino).

What are the key punctuation, accentuation, and word order rules for direct questions in Spanish?

Direct questions use inverted opening and closing marks (¿ ... ?), accents on all question words (e.g., ¿qué?, ¿cómo?), and subject-verb inversion.

How are affirmative and negative informal singular (tú) commands formed?

Affirmative tú commands use the 3rd person singular present indicative; negative tú commands use no + the 2nd person singular present subjunctive.

How are commands formed for vosotros, usted, ustedes, and nosotros?

Affirmative vosotros replaces infinitive -r with -d; negative vosotros, all usted/ustedes, and nosotros commands use the present subjunctive.

Where are object and reflexive pronouns placed in affirmative versus negative commands?

Pronouns attach directly to the end of affirmative commands (often requiring an accent), but sit before the verb in negative commands.

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