Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Eu permitiria perguntas no final, se quisesse influenciar mais pessoas a participar. - I would allow questions at the end if I wanted to influence more people to participate.

Permitiria is the conditional form of the verb permitir, and it translates to “I would allow” in English. This form shows that the action (allowing questions) is conditional or hypothetical.

Why is the imperfect subjunctive quisesse used in the clause “se quisesse influenciar…” instead of a simple past or present form?

In Portuguese, the imperfect subjunctive (here, quisesse from querer) is used to express a hypothetical or unreal condition. It corresponds to the English “if I wanted,” indicating that the condition is not a stated fact but a potential situation.

How is the sentence structured in terms of its clauses, and what does each part convey?

The sentence is composed of two main parts. The first is the main clause, Eu permitiria perguntas no final, meaning “I would allow questions at the end.” The second is the conditional clause, se quisesse influenciar mais pessoas a participar, which explains the hypothetical condition under which the main clause would occur (“if I wanted to influence more people to participate”).

What is the role of a participar in the phrase “influenciar mais pessoas a participar,” and why is the preposition a necessary?

In Portuguese, when the verb influenciar (to influence) is followed by another verb expressing an action, the construction requires the preposition a before the infinitive form. Thus, a participar translates to “to participate,” forming the natural expression “to influence someone to participate.”

How does the use of the conditional mood and the imperfect subjunctive in this sentence compare to expressing hypotheticals in English?

The structure is quite similar. English uses the modal “would” for the conditional (“I would allow”) and a simple past form in the conditional clause (“if I wanted”) to indicate a hypothetical scenario. Portuguese mirrors this with permitiria in the conditional and quisesse in the imperfect subjunctive, both pointing to an unreal or potential situation.