Breakdown of O tirano exigiu que aceitássemos o decreto.
que
that (conjunction)
aceitar
to accept
exigir
to demand
o tirano
the tyrant
Questions & Answers about O tirano exigiu que aceitássemos o decreto.
Why is aceitássemos in the imperfect subjunctive rather than the present subjunctive?
This is a classic example of backshifting. The verb exigir triggers the subjunctive because it expresses a demand. If the sentence were in the present tense (O tirano exige que...), we would use the present subjunctive (aceitemos). But because the main verb exigiu is in the past tense, the dependent verb must shift back to the imperfect subjunctive (aceitássemos) to match the timeframe.
What would the original direct command look like before it was reported?
The tyrant's original quote was likely: Exijo que aceitem o decreto! (I demand that you accept the decree!). When reporting this past event, the main verb changes to exigiu and the present subjunctive aceitem backshifts to the imperfect subjunctive. It also shifts to the first-person plural (aceitássemos) because the speaker is including themselves in the group that received the order.
Why is there a written accent on the letter a in aceitássemos?
In the imperfect subjunctive, the nós form always requires a written accent on the vowel immediately preceding the -sse- ending. This is because the stress falls on the third-to-last syllable. Without the accent, the normal pronunciation rules would incorrectly place the stress on the second-to-last syllable.
Could we use the personal infinitive here instead of the subjunctive clause?