Breakdown of O foguetão voltará assim que tiver lançado o satélite.
ter
to have
voltar
to return
assim que
as soon as
lançar
to launch
o foguetão
the rocket
o satélite
the satellite
Questions & Answers about O foguetão voltará assim que tiver lançado o satélite.
Why do we use the Future Perfect Subjunctive (tiver lançado) in this sentence?
The time phrase assim que (as soon as) triggers the subjunctive when talking about an uncompleted future event. Because the launch must be fully completed before the rocket can return, we use the compound form (tiver lançado) rather than the simple future subjunctive to emphasize that the action will be finished.
How exactly is the Future Perfect Subjunctive formed here?
You take the simple Future Subjunctive of the auxiliary verb ter (which is tiver for the third-person singular) and add the invariable past participle of your main verb (lançado).
Could I use the simple Future Subjunctive (assim que lançar) instead?
Why is voltará in the indicative mood while the second half of the sentence uses the subjunctive?
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