Breakdown of Ellos quieren más tiempo para que terminemos el proyecto.
ellos
they
terminar
to finish / to end
el tiempo
time
para
for
querer
to want
el proyecto
the project
que
that / than
más
more
Questions & Answers about Ellos quieren más tiempo para que terminemos el proyecto.
Why is terminemos in the subjunctive rather than the normal present tense?
The phrase para que means 'so that' or 'in order that,' and it is always followed by the subjunctive. This is because it expresses a purpose or a goal that hasn't happened yet, rather than stating a concrete fact.
How would this sentence change if 'they' were the ones finishing the project instead of 'we'?
If the subject doesn't change between the two parts of the sentence, you drop the que and use the infinitive. For 'They want more time to finish the project,' you would say Ellos quieren más tiempo para terminar el proyecto. We only use para que + subjunctive when a new person or group is doing the second action.
Could I translate this English idea using para nosotros instead of para que?
No, that is a common trap! In English, we often say 'They want more time for us to finish.' But in Spanish, you cannot use para + a pronoun + an infinitive. You must use the full clause structure: para que (so that) + a conjugated subjunctive verb (terminemos).
Why do we use the present subjunctive (terminemos) here and not a past subjunctive?
The tense of the subjunctive verb usually needs to agree with the timeframe of the main verb. Because the first verb quieren (they want) is in the present tense, the purpose clause also stays in the present using the present subjunctive terminemos.
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