Breakdown of À medida que o tempo passa, o teu trabalho havia de render mais.
o trabalho
the work / the job
teu
your (informal)
mais
more
o tempo
the time
passar
to pass
haver de
shall / will / ought to / should
à medida que
as (proportion, progression)
render
to be productive
Questions & Answers about À medida que o tempo passa, o teu trabalho havia de render mais.
Why do we use havia de render instead of just devia render here?
This is the core of this lesson! While devia render (should yield) works, using the Pretérito Imperfeito of haver de plus an infinitive adds a specific nuance. It expresses a strong expectation, a recommendation, or a mild reproach. Here, it gives the feeling of 'it ought to be yielding more by now (but frankly, it isn't)'.
What is the exact meaning of render when talking about work?
In Portuguese, when time, work, or effort rende, it means it is highly productive, efficient, or goes a long way. So render mais means producing more results for the same amount of time spent, rather than just yielding in a purely financial or agricultural sense.
Why use the phrase À medida que instead of just Como or Enquanto for 'As'?
À medida que specifically expresses a gradual, proportional change, much like 'in proportion as' or 'the more... the more'. Enquanto just means 'while' (two simultaneous actions). Using À medida que strongly links the gradual passing of time directly to the expected gradual increase in your productivity.
Why is passa in the Present Indicative rather than the Subjunctive? Doesn't À medida que trigger the subjunctive?
À medida que only triggers the subjunctive (specifically, the Future Subjunctive) when you are talking about a purely hypothetical or future scenario, like 'As time passes tomorrow...'. Here, we are stating a general, ongoing fact about the present reality, so the Present Indicative is the correct choice.
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