redactaban

Redactaban is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb redactar, meaning to draft or to write (a document). The imperfect expresses ongoing or habitual past action, equivalent to “they were drafting” or “they used to draft.” The verb is regular in its conjugation, following the standard -ar pattern: redactaba, redactabas, redactaba, redactábamos, redactabais, redactaban.

Etymology and meaning: redactar comes from Latin redactare or related forms meaning to bring into order or to compose text. In modern Spanish, redacción refers to the act or result of writing and a redactor is a writer or editor. The term redacción is also used for the magazine or newsroom in some contexts, but redactar itself mainly denotes the act of composing a text.

Usage notes: redactaban is typically used when describing past processes of creating written documents such as contracts, reports, articles, or official minutes. It emphasizes the duration or repetition of drafting rather than a completed act. The corresponding simple past form is redactaron, which conveys a completed action in the past, while redactaban suggests ongoing activity at that time.

Examples:

- Los abogados redactaban el contrato durante la semana.

- En esa редакción, los periodistas redactaban sus artículos para la edición matutina.

See also: redactar, redacción, redactor, redacción de textos.