Question 1

Why do we use the imperfect subjunctive cooperássemos here instead of the present subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

The verb in the main clause, queria (wanted), is in a past tense. When you express a past desire, doubt, or emotion followed by que, the second verb must match that past timeline by using the imperfect subjunctive. If the sentence were in the present tense (I want us to cooperate), it would be Eu quero que nós cooperemos.

Question 2

How exactly do we build the word cooperássemos?

Accepted Answer

For regular verbs, you start with the eles form of the simple past tense, which is cooperaram. Then, you drop the -ram ending to get your stem (coopera-) and add the imperfect subjunctive ending for nós, which is -ssemos. This gives us cooperássemos.

Question 3

Why does cooperássemos have a written accent mark when the infinitive verb cooperar does not?

Accepted Answer

Adding the long -ssemos ending makes the word very long. To keep the spoken stress on the same vowel as the other imperfect subjunctive forms (like the eu form, cooperasse), a written accent is required on the nós form. For -ar verbs, this is always an acute accent, giving us the á in cooperássemos.

Question 4

Could I just use the personal infinitive and say Eu queria nós cooperarmos?

Accepted Answer

No. Because there is a change of subject between the two halves of the sentence (the person wanting is eu, but the people cooperating are nós), you must use que followed by a conjugated subjunctive verb. You would only use the infinitive if the subject remained the same throughout, such as Eu queria cooperar (I wanted to cooperate).

Eu queria que nós cooperássemos em harmonia.

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