Many Latin constructions take the subjunctive in the subordinate clauses (e.g. indirect commands and indirect questions). The tense of this subjunctive is not random, but is governed by the rules laid down by the sequence of tenses:
| Primary | Historic | ||
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Indicative | Subjunctive |
| Present | Present | Imperfect | Imperfect |
| Future | Perfect | Pluperfect | Pluperfect |
| Perfect (with have) |
Perfect (without have)
1
In indirect questions, the
primary takes the future participle and the historic takes
the future participle to create a periphrastic future
subjunctive.
|
||
| Future Perfect |
Within the primary sequence, the present subjunctive is used to express something that happens at the same time or after the action of the indicative verb. The perfect subjunctive is used to express something that happens prior to the indicative verb.
Within the secondary sequence, the imperfect subjunctive is used to express something that happens at the same time or after the action of the indicative verb. The pluperfect subjunctive is used to express something that happens prior to the indicative verb.
