Question 1

What triggers the subjunctive mood (fossero) in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

The trigger is the verb phrase pensavo che (I thought that). Verbs expressing personal opinions, beliefs, or uncertainties require the subjunctive mood in the clause that follows them.

Question 2

Why use the pluperfect subjunctive (fossero cambiate) instead of the imperfect subjunctive (cambiassero)?

Accepted Answer

We use the pluperfect (past perfect) subjunctive because the action of the forecasts changing happened before the action of thinking about them. Since the main verb (pensavo) is in the past, and the changing happened even further in the past, we need this past-in-the-past subjunctive form.

Question 3

Why does the word cambiate end in -e?

Accepted Answer

Because the helper (auxiliary) verb is a form of essere (fossero). In Italian, whenever a compound tense uses essere, the past participle has to match the subject in gender and number. The subject is le previsioni (feminine plural), so cambiato changes to cambiate.

Question 4

I have seen cambiare used with avere. Why does it use essere (fossero) here?

Accepted Answer

Cambiare is a verb that can take either helper verb depending on how it is used. When you change something (a direct object, like changing your mind or changing clothes), it uses avere. When the subject itself changes and there is no direct object (like the forecasts changing), it uses essere.

Ho letto le notizie perché pensavo che le previsioni fossero cambiate.

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