Pluperfect Subjunctive Mood in English
By Author Giljonnys Dias da Silva
The pluperfect subjunctive in English is used to talk about an action that could have happened in the past under specific conditions or hypothetical situations, but didn’t. Similar to Portuguese, this construction is commonly used to express regret, hypothetical scenarios, or unreal conditions related to past events.
if I had slept (se eu tivesse dormido)
if you had slept (se você tivesse dormido)
if he had slept (se ele tivesse dormido)
if she had slept (se ela tivesse dormido)
if it had slept (se ele/ela tivesse dormido)
if we had slept (se nós tivéssemos dormido)
if you had slept (se vocês tivessem dormido)
if they had slept (se eles/elas tivessem dormido)
The past perfect subjunctive is formed similarly to the past perfect in the indicative mood, but with the subjunctive. The structure is:
If + subject + had + past participle of the main verb.
If I had known (Se eu tivesse sabido)
If you had studied (Se você tivesse estudado)
If she had gone (Se ela tivesse ido)
Keep in mind that had is the past tense of have, and it is used together with the past participle of the main verb. What sets the subjunctive apart from the indicative is the context: the subjunctive is used to describe imagined, hypothetical, or unreal situations.
When to Use the Past Perfect Subjunctive
The past perfect subjunctive is typically used in the following contexts:
1. Imaginary or unreal situations in the past: To describe events that might have happened, but didn’t.
2. Expressions of regret about the past: Used when someone wishes something had happened differently in the past, often reflecting a missed opportunity.
3. Uncertainty about past actions: To show doubt or speculation about something that was supposed to occur but didn’t.
4. In third conditional sentences: These are used to express what might have happened if a different action had taken place in the past.
Examples of Past Perfect Subjunctive with translations into Brazilian Portuguese:
If I had known you were coming, I would have prepared something special.
Se eu tivesse sabido que você viria, teria preparado algo especial.
If she had studied harder, she would have passed the exam.
Se ela tivesse estudado mais, teria passado no exame.
I wish I had gone to the party last night.
Eu gostaria de ter ido à festa ontem à noite.
If we had left earlier, we wouldn't have missed the train.
Se nós tivéssemos saído mais cedo, não teríamos perdido o trem.
I doubt that they had finished the project on time.
Eu duvido que eles tivessem terminado o projeto a tempo.
If you had told me the truth, I would have helped you.
Se você tivesse me contado a verdade, eu teria te ajudado.
If he had known about the meeting, he would have attended.
Se ele tivesse sabido sobre a reunião, ele teria participado.
I would have gone to the concert if I had known it was happening.
Eu teria ido ao concerto se soubesse que estava acontecendo.
Distinction Between the Past Perfect Subjunctive and the Past Perfect Indicative
While both the past perfect subjunctive and the past perfect indicative share the same structure (had + past participle), the key difference lies in the meaning and usage:
Past Perfect Subjunctive: Applied in cases of hypothetical or imaginary situations, regrets, wishes, or unreal past conditions.
Past Perfect Indicative: Used to state actions that genuinely happened in the past and are presented as facts.
Example of a Past Perfect Indicative sentence:
I had already eaten when they called me.
Eu já tinha comido quando eles me ligaram.
(The action of eating took place in the past and is considered a definite and completed event.)
Exemple of a Past Perfect Subjunctive sentence:
If I had known about the call, I would have answered.
Se eu tivesse sabido da ligação, teria atendido. (In this case, the condition refers to something that didn’t actually happen in the past, and the act of answering never occurred.)
Summary
The past perfect subjunctive is used to describe actions that were supposed to happen before a certain moment in the past but never did, and which still matter in the present or future. It’s often used in contexts involving what-ifs, imagined scenarios, regrets, or uncertainties about past events. This verb form plays a key role in expressing how a different outcome in the past could have influenced what happens later.
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