The Subjunctive and Indefinite or Nonexistent Antecedents

This complicated looking title is referring to situations when you are looking for, wishing for, wanting, or not seeing, something that you want. You would use the Subjunctive (after que) to describe something that you want but don't know exists.
For example:

I want a boyfriend who is tall and, and who likes to ride horses. / Quiero un novio que sea alto yreno, y que le guste montar a caballo.

I use the Subjunctive here because I don't really know a person exactly like this.

On the other hand, if I already know of a guy that fits this description, I could point him out to my friends and say:

I want that guy who is tall and dark, and who likes to ride horses. / Quiero al hombre que es alto y moreno, y a quien le gusta montar a caballo.

And my friends would respond, "Oh, that is Jason Aldean and he already has a girlfriend! ¡Qué lástima!

If I am an employer describing the type of employee I want to find, I would use the Subjunctive. If I am describing an employee who already works for me, I use the Indicative. I also use the Subjunctive when I describe people who don't exist (or who I believe don't exist.) For example, if I point out that there is no one who can write in 15 languages, I use the Subjunctive. Anytime I start a sentence

There is no one who... / No hay nadie que...

I must use the Subjunctive in the description - because I am describing someone who doesn't exist (except in my wishful thing).

We still need the subjunctive 3 part formula:

1 / 2 / 3
Subject #1 (indicative verb)
( Expression of wanting, looking for, wishing for or a statement indicating you do not believe the following person or thing exists.) / Que / Subject #2 (subjunctive verb)
(in this case, we are describing a person or thing that exists in our wishful thinking or that we believe doesn't exist in which case the person or the thing is still in our imagination.)
But if I say, "There is someone in this department who can..,"
I finish with the Indicative - because I know this person exists and what his or her skills are.

Práctica:

Subjunctive or Indicative? Write “S” for subjunctive and “I” for Indicative.

  1. _____ The company has an employee who speaks Russian.
  2. _____ I want a friend who hikes.
  3. _____ There is no one who understands the lesson.
  4. _____ I want that teacher to teach the lesson.
  5. _____ I want a teacher that knows her stuff.