Breakdown of Continuaron comprando la edición limitada antes de que costara el doble.
de
from / of
comprar
to buy
costar
to cost
que
that / than
continuar
to continue
antes
before / earlier
el doble
the double
la edición
the edition
limitado
limited
Questions & Answers about Continuaron comprando la edición limitada antes de que costara el doble.
Why is costara in the imperfect subjunctive here instead of the present subjunctive?
The main action, continuaron, happened in the past. Even though the price increase was an anticipated future event from the subjects' perspective at the time, we have to backshift the tense to match the past timeframe of the sentence. Since antes de que always triggers the subjunctive, the past context forces it into the imperfect subjunctive.
Would it be wrong to use the indicative past tense costaba instead of costara?
Yes, it would be incorrect. The phrase antes de que introduces an action that has not happened yet relative to the main verb, meaning it is viewed as unrealized. Because of this, antes de que always requires the subjunctive mood, regardless of whether the sentence is set in the past, present, or future.
Why do we use the gerund comprando instead of the infinitive comprar after continuaron?
Why do we say el doble instead of just doble?
When using the word as a noun to mean twice as much or double the amount, Spanish requires the masculine definite article el before doble.
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