Breakdown of Yo quería que el folleto estuviera listo para cuando aprobaran la maqueta.
yo
I
estar
to be (location/state)
listo
ready
para
for
querer
to want
que
that / than
cuando
when (statement)
aprobar
to approve
la maqueta
the mock-up
el folleto
the brochure
Questions & Answers about Yo quería que el folleto estuviera listo para cuando aprobaran la maqueta.
Why is aprobaran in the imperfect subjunctive instead of the past indicative?
The phrase para cuando (by the time) sets a deadline. At the time the speaker wanted the brochure ready (quería), the approval hadn't happened yet. Because it was an anticipated event viewed from the past, it requires the imperfect subjunctive (aprobaran).
Could we use the present subjunctive (aprueben) instead of aprobaran?
No, because the main verb (quería) is in the past tense. When a past action sets up a deadline, you must use a past subjunctive form to match. You would use the present subjunctive only if the main verb were in the present tense: Quiero que el folleto esté listo para cuando aprueben la maqueta (I want the brochure to be ready by the time they approve the mock-up).
Why do we use estuviera instead of fuera for 'to be ready'?
In Spanish, being ready (listo) is treated as a condition or a state, so it requires the verb estar rather than ser. It is in the imperfect subjunctive form (estuviera) because it follows quería que, which triggers the subjunctive to express a past desire.
I usually see maqueta translated as a 'scale model'. Does it mean something else here?
Yes! While maqueta often means a physical scale model, in graphic design and publishing it means a 'mock-up' or 'layout'. Since they are talking about a brochure (folleto), they are referring to the visual draft of the document.
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