New
New
Year 11
AQA

Buenas intenciones: subjunctive after 'para que'

I can use the subjunctive after 'para que' to express purpose or intention.

New
New
Year 11
AQA

Buenas intenciones: subjunctive after 'para que'

I can use the subjunctive after 'para que' to express purpose or intention.

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. The subjunctive indicates uncertainty, wishing or possibility, or refers to actions that have not yet happened.
  2. The conjunction 'para que' translates as 'so that' and is followed by a subjunctive verb.
  3. Spanish uses the subjunctive after 'para que' even though English uses the indicative after 'so that'.

Keywords

  • Subjunctive - verb form that indicates actions which are uncertain, wished for, or that have not yet happened; its forms are different from the indicative

  • Para - preposition meaning 'to', 'for' + noun or 'in order to' + infinitive

  • Para que - conjunction meaning 'so that', which is followed by a subjunctive verb

Common misconception

We always use 'para que' + subjunctive to express intentions in Spanish.

We only use 'para que' + subjunctive to express intentions when the subject of the 2nd verb in the sentence is different from the first. Where the subject is the same in the whole sentence, express intentions with 'para' + infinitive.


To help you plan your year 11 Spanish lesson on: Buenas intenciones: subjunctive after 'para que', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Teachers can increase the level of challenge for Task B2 by asking students to translate the sentence without referring to the hints on the slide. Additionally, an extension could involve asking students to write their own sentence(s) with 'para' and/or 'para que'.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word means 'except'?

además
ambos
dicho
jamás
Correct answer: salvo

Q2.
Match the Spanish and English.

Correct Answer:dueño (m),owner

owner

Correct Answer:género (m),gender, genre

gender, genre

Correct Answer:octubre (m),October

October

Correct Answer:perro (m),dog

dog

Correct Answer:título (m),title

title

Correct Answer:juguete (m),toy

toy

Q3.
Match the Spanish and English.

Correct Answer:bueno,good

good

Correct Answer:grande,big

big

Correct Answer:mayor,older, larger, main

older, larger, main

Correct Answer:muerto,dead

dead

Correct Answer:roto,broken

broken

Correct Answer:tonto,silly

silly

Q4.
Order the words to say: 'my grandmother is medium-sized and my aunties are thin'.

1 - mi abuela
2 - es
3 - mediana
4 - y
5 - mis tías
6 - son
7 - delgadas

Q5.
Write in English: 'el libro se basa en la guerra'.

Correct Answer: the book is based on the war, the book is based on war

Q6.
Write in Spanish: 'I like reading fiction'.

Correct Answer: me gusta leer ficción, me gusta leer la ficción

Assessment exit quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
Which statements are correct?

Spanish uses the indicative after 'para que'.
Correct answer: Spanish uses the subjunctive after 'para que'.
English uses the indicative after 'so that'.
Correct answer: English uses the subjunctive after 'so that'.
The subjunctive does not exist in English.

Q2.
'Ayudo en casa __________ no hagas todo'. Choose the correct missing word.

por
porque
para
Correct answer: para que

Q3.
'Voy al supermercado __________ comprar la comida'. Choose the correct missing word.

por
porque
Correct answer: para
para que

Q4.
Write in Spanish: 'in order to look for'.

Correct Answer: para buscar

Q5.
Write in Spanish: 'so that you (informal) go'.

Correct Answer: para que vayas

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