Breakdown of Precisávamos de que ele não estivesse a tramar o desvio.
não
not / no
ele
he
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
estar
to be (temporary / location)
que
that (conjunction)
tramar
to plot
precisar
to need (with verbs)
o desvio
the embezzlement
Questions & Answers about Precisávamos de que ele não estivesse a tramar o desvio.
Why do we use the continuous form estivesse a tramar instead of just the imperfect subjunctive tramasse?
While tramasse (plotted) is grammatically correct, using the continuous subjunctive estivesse a tramar translates to 'were plotting' or 'to be plotting'. It emphasizes that the scheming was an ongoing, active process at that specific moment in the past.
What triggers the subjunctive in this sentence, and why is it in the imperfect tense?
The verb precisar expresses a need or requirement, which triggers the subjunctive in a following que clause when the subject changes (from 'we' to 'he'). Because the main verb Precisávamos is in a past tense, the dependent verb must match that timeframe by using the imperfect subjunctive (estivesse).
Why is there a de before que in Precisávamos de que?
The verb precisar requires the preposition de when linking to a noun or pronoun object (for example, precisamos de ajuda). When that object is an entire clause starting with que, European Portuguese keeps the preposition, resulting in the structure precisar de que.
How do tramar and desvio give us 'plotting the embezzlement'?
Tramar means to scheme or hatch a plot, usually something underhanded. Desvio literally means a detour or deviation, but in business or legal contexts, it acts as shorthand for desvio de fundos (misappropriation of funds), which is the standard term for embezzlement.
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