Indicative Mood
These are the verb tenses that describe or indicate reality, whether that reality be past actions, present actions, or future actions; or actions which may happen under certain conditions. The tenses of the indicative mood can be categorized as simple tenses and compound tenses.
The simple tenses are ones in which the conjugated forms consist of exactly one word. In Spanish, the simple tenses of the indicative mood are the present, the imperfect, the preterit, the future, and the conditional tenses.
The compound tenses (or “perfect” tenses) of the mood are comprised of two words; the auxiliary verb haber conjugated into a given tense, plus the past participle of the verb in question. Compound tenses always have an aspect of verbal anteriority; that is, they describe an action that happens/ed prior to another action. In the indicative mood, the compound tenses are the present perfect, the pluperfect, the preterit perfect, the future perfect, and the conditional perfect.
The simple tenses are ones in which the conjugated forms consist of exactly one word. In Spanish, the simple tenses of the indicative mood are the present, the imperfect, the preterit, the future, and the conditional tenses.
The compound tenses (or “perfect” tenses) of the mood are comprised of two words; the auxiliary verb haber conjugated into a given tense, plus the past participle of the verb in question. Compound tenses always have an aspect of verbal anteriority; that is, they describe an action that happens/ed prior to another action. In the indicative mood, the compound tenses are the present perfect, the pluperfect, the preterit perfect, the future perfect, and the conditional perfect.
