Question 1

Why is descansasse in the imperfect subjunctive here instead of the present subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

Verbs of suggestion like recomendar trigger the subjunctive because they express an influence on someone else's actions. Because the main verb recomendou is in the past tense, Portuguese requires the following subjunctive verb to also be in the past. This sequence of tenses is why we use the imperfect subjunctive descansasse rather than the present subjunctive descanse.

Question 2

What would the doctor's original, direct speech have been?

Accepted Answer

The doctor probably gave a direct command using the imperative, like Descanse! (Rest!). When we use reported speech to talk about a command or suggestion given in the past, that imperative verb always transforms into the imperfect subjunctive.

Question 3

In English we say "recommended that the patient rest". Is it a coincidence that the Portuguese translation doesn't use a normal past tense?

Accepted Answer

It is not a coincidence! English actually uses a rare remnant of its own subjunctive here (we say "rest" instead of "rested" or "rests"). While English barely uses the subjunctive anymore, Portuguese relies on it heavily for reported commands. This makes verbs like recomendar and sugerir crucial subjunctive triggers to master.

Question 4

Could I avoid the subjunctive here and use an infinitive instead?

Accepted Answer

You can, but the structure changes slightly. You could say A médica recomendou ao paciente descansar, which uses the indirect object ao paciente followed by the infinitive. However, using que plus the subjunctive is the most standard and natural way to report suggestions in Portuguese.

A médica recomendou que o paciente descansasse.

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