Sometimes it is difficult to decide whether to use one of the indicative tenses or the subjunctive tenses. In order to figure this out, ask yourself these questions: first, is the form in the main or the subordinate clause? If it's in the main clause, chances are you will need the indicative. Remember that most of the time the subordinate clause comes after the relative pronoun que (that). Second, ask yourself whether the action is a hypothetical or an action based on a condition. Chances are that that action will be expressed in the subjunctive. If you are dealing with statements of fact, use the indicative. Here are some examples that help you clarify these ground rules:

Indicative Versus Subjunctive Examples