Unit 6: The Present Subjunctive with the song “A Dios le pido”
PACE assignment to learn to identify the Present Subjunctive with the song “A Dios le pido”
Objectives:
- To define the vocabulary of nouns related to musical instruments, types of music.
- To understand how to make wishes and to analyze the structure involving a main and a subordinate sentence
- To apply the wishes learned in the song to create personal wishes for friends and family.
- To support or reject the wishes that the singer of this song makes according to personal values.
Biography of Juanes:
Students discuss the biography of Juanes to learn some facts about him. In groups, they can discuss the information on this webpage.
¿De dónde es Juanes? ¿Cuál es su nombre? ¿Cuáles son sus apellidos? ¿Cuándo nació? ¿Qué edad tiene hoy? ¿Qué instrumento toca?
Include another fact that you and your group might find interesting.
PACE Activity: A Dios le pido
A. Presentation:
Also, students review the following vocabulary and add expressions that they might find difficult.
Vocabulary:
Nouns:
La luz = the light
La mirada = the look
Expressions:
Mi vida, mi cielo = my love, in this context.
Mi alma = my soul
Verbs:
Quedarse a mi lado = to stay/ to remain by my side
Recordar = to remember
Morir = to die
Morirse = to die + being emotionally involved
B. Attention to Form:
Una canción por Juanes
Listen to the song: Escuchen esta canción
Fill in the blanks: Rellenen las lagunas
Are these verbs Formal Commands?
Are they Present Tense?
What type of Present Tense?
When you ask God: I ask God that . . . Do you think that your requests / (expressions of influence ) will be fulfilled? Are you expressing hopes? Are you unsure?
In this song, there are main sentences and subordinate sentences. The main sentence is “Yo a Dios le pido” = I ask God . . .
How does it continue?
What is the link / conjunction / bridge that joins the main sentence with the subordinate one?
What happens in the subordinate sentence? Can you give examples?
Does the singer use the normal Present Tense?
Does the singer use a different type of Present Tense?
(main sentence) = A Dios le pido
(subordinate sentence) = Que mis ojos (despertarse) Con la luz de tu mirada
(main sentence) = Yo, a Dios le pido
(subordinate sentence) = Que mi madre no (morirse)
(subordinate sentence) = Y que mi padre me (recordar)
(main sentence) = A Dios le pido
(subordinate sentence) = Que (quedarse) a mi lado
(subordinate sentence) = Y que más nunca te (irse) , mi vida
(main sentence) = A Dios le pido
(subordinate sentence) = Que mi alma no (descansar)
Cuando de amarte se trate, mi cielo
A Dios le pido
C. Co-Construction:
Rules that we have learned from this song:
When the speaker is unsure of something, the speaker begins with the normal Present tense called the Indicative Mood but switches moods after saying “that” to the Present Subjunctive. The Present Subjunctive indicated suppositions, imaginary actions and thoughts.
In this example, the main sentence is :
A Dios le pido =
Verb =
Subject of verb =
Translation =
What do I ask God for? What follows are wishes, hypothetical actions and thoughts. Can you give examples?
| Main Sentence | + Conjunction | + Subordinate Verb | Infinitive Form of Verb | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | – | – |
| – | – | – | – | – |
| – | – | – | – | – |
| – | – | – | – | – |
| – | – | – | – | – |
There is a normal Present Tense called the Indicative (it indicates facts): Write the endings:
ar / er / ir
ar:
er:
ir:
There is a Present Subjunctive Mood (it shows that the speaker is not sure of something)
Write the endings:
ar / er / ir
ar:
er:
ir:
What do you notice about the endings? Is there a switch in the last vowel? Can you explain and form a rule?
When is it used?
– When there is a verb of Supposition in the main sentence followed by “que” and a Subordinate sentence. The second verb is in the Subjunctive Mood.
D. Extension:
Using the vocabulary in this song, what do you ask God for? In pairs ask each other, What do you ask God for?
Use the structure: Main Sentence + Subordinate Sentence:
I ask God that + 2nd subject (my mother, my father, my brothers, my sisters, my grandparents, my dog, my cat, etc) + 2nd verb in Present Subjunctive (have good health, eat less sugar, stay with me, never die, remember me, don’t work so hard, rest more, )
