When and how is the imperfect subjunctive used in Spanish?

The imperfect subjunctive is used frequently in Spanish in numerous different occasions such as hypothetical situations or after certain verbs that convey instruction or doubt. The imperfect subjunctive is used in similar situations to the present subjunctive as they are both in the same mood however convey a different temporal aspect. The imperfect subjunctive however does not necessarily need to refer to an event that takes place in the past; the same as in English as you can see from the lyrics of Beyonce's song 'If I were a boy', in Spanish: 'Si fuera chico' - both these examples use the imperfect subjunctive as they refer to a hypothetical situation.

These sentences are also a good example of how the imperfect subjunctive is often used in conjunction with the conditional tense and this is how it is best utilised in exams in order to ascertain good language marks. The song continues, 'I'd roll out of bed in the morning', which in Spanish would be simply translated as 'me levantaría por la mañana', this exemplifies the construction of si + imperfect subjunctive + conditional tense which can be used effectively to show off your linguistic flair.