pulir Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
pulir — to polish
Use imperfect subjunctive forms like 'pudiera' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'pudieran' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) for past hypotheticals or wishes.
pulir Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is used for hypothetical situations in the past, wishes, doubts, or suggestions in a past context. For 'pulir', you might say 'If I polished the silver...' or 'I wish he polished it better...'.
Notes on pulir in the Imperfect Subjunctive
'Pulir' is regular in the imperfect subjunctive. Both the -ra and -se forms exist, but the -ra form (pudiera, pudieras, etc.) is more common.
Example Sentences
Si yo puliera mis zapatos más a menudo, estarían mejor.
If I polished my shoes more often, they would be better.
yo
Me gustaría que tú pulieras el coche.
I would like you to polish the car.
tú
Ella pensaba que él puliera la madera.
She thought he would polish the wood.
él/ella/usted
Ojalá ellos pulieran sus medallas.
Hopefully, they polish their medals.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Si vosotros pulierais más, se vería mejor.
If you all (Spain) polished more, it would look better.
vosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the preterite or imperfect indicative instead of the imperfect subjunctive.
Correct: In hypothetical 'if' clauses or after expressions of doubt/desire in the past, use 'puliera' or 'puliera', not 'pulió' or 'pulía'.
Why: The subjunctive mood is required for non-factual or hypothetical situations.
Mistake: Confusing the -ra and -se forms.
Correct: While both are correct, stick to one form (usually -ra) for consistency in a single text.
Why: Although interchangeable, mixing them can sound awkward.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: pulo
The present tense of 'pulir' is regular: pulo, pules, pule, pulimos, pulís, pulen.
Preterite
yo: pulí
The preterite of 'pulir' is regular: pulí, puliste, pulió, pulimos, pulisteis, pulieron.
Imperfect
yo: pulía
The imperfect of 'pulir' is regular: pulía, pulías, pulía, pulíamos, pulíais, pulían.
Future
yo: puliré
The future tense of 'pulir' is regular: puliré, pulirás, pulirá, puliremos, puliréis, pulirán.
Conditional
yo: puliría
The conditional of 'pulir' is regular: puliría, pulirías, puliría, puliríamos, puliríais, pulirían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: pula
Use present subjunctive forms like 'pula' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'pulan' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: pule
Use imperative forms like 'pule' (tú) and 'pulan' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no pulas
Negative commands use the present subjunctive with 'no', like 'no pulas' (tú) and 'no pulan' (ustedes).