Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar: A Practical Guide

492 Pages·2011·1.548 MB·English

by  John Whitlam

Modern
B P
RAZILIAN ORTUGUESE
Grammar
Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar: A Practical Guide is an innovative reference
guide to Brazilian Portuguese, combining traditional and function-based grammar in a
single volume.
The Grammar is divided into two parts. Part A covers traditional grammatical categories
such as agreement, nouns, verbs and adjectives. Part B is carefully organized around
language functions covering all major communication situations such as:
(cid:129) Establishing identity
(cid:129) Making contact
(cid:129) Expressing likes, dislikes and preferences.
With a strong emphasis on contemporary usage, all grammar points and functions are
richly illustrated with examples. Main features of the Grammarinclude:
(cid:129) Clear, jargon-free explanations
(cid:129) Emphasis on the language as it is spoken and written today
(cid:129) Extensive cross-referencing between the different sections.
A combination of reference grammar and practical usage manual, Modern Brazilian
Portuguese Grammaris the ideal source for learners of Brazilian Portuguese at all levels,
from beginner to advanced.
John Whitlamis a freelance writer, university lecturer and lexicographer based in Rio de
Janeiro. He has authored a number of language teaching books and project-coordinated
and co-authored three of the best-selling bilingual dictionaries of Portuguese and English.
Routledge Modern Grammars
Series concept and development – Sarah Butler
Other books in the series:
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook
Modern German Grammar, Second Edition
Modern German Grammar Workbook, Second Edition
Modern Spanish Grammar, Second Edition
Modern Spanish Grammar Workbook, Second Edition
Modern Italian Grammar, Second Edition
Modern Italian Grammar Workbook, Second Edition
Modern French Grammar, Second Edition
Modern French Grammar Workbook, Second Edition
Modern
BRAZILIAN
PORTUGUESE
Grammar
A Practical Guide
John Whitlam
First edition published 2011
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2010.
To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2011 John Whitlam
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Whitlam, John.
Modern Brazilian Portuguese grammar : a practical guide / John Whitlam. – 1st edn
p.cm. – (Routledge modern grammars)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Portuguese language – Grammar. 2. Portuguese language – Textbooks for
foreign speakers – English. 3. Portuguese language – Spoken Portugese. I. Title.
PC5444.W45 2011
469′.798—dc22 2010009096
ISBN 0-203-84392-4 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10: 0–415–56643–6 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0–415–56644–4 (pbk)
ISBN10: 0–203–84392–4 (ebk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–56643–8 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–56644–5 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–203–84392–5 (ebk)
Contents
Introduction 1
Glossary of grammatical terms 3
Part A Structures
1 Pronunciation and spelling 11
1.1 The Portuguese alphabet 11
1.2 Consonant sounds 11
1.3 Oral vowel sounds 13
1.4 Nasal vowel sounds 14
1.5 Spelling and pronunciation 15
1.6 Syllabification 16
1.7 Stress and written accents 17
1.8 Hyphenation 19
1.9 Use of capital letters 20
1.10 Punctuation 21
2 Gender and gender agreement 22
2.1 What is grammatical gender? 22
2.2 Rules for determining gender 22
2.3 Feminine forms of nouns and adjectives 25
3 Number and number agreement 27
3.1 Singular vs. plural 27
3.2 Forming the plural of nouns and adjectives 27
3.3 Plurals referring collectively to males and females 29
3.4 Use of singular and plural 30
3.5 Countability 31
4 Articles 32
4.1 The definite article 32
4.2 The indefinite article 35
5 Adjectives and adverbs 38
5.1 Position of adjectives 38
5.2 Adjectives that always precede the noun 38
5.3 Adjectives with different meanings according to their position 39
5.4 Adjectives used as nouns 41
5.5 Adjectives used as adverbs 42
v
CONTENTS
5.6 Formation of adverbs of manner 43
5.7 Position of adverbs and adverbials 43
5.8 Comparison of adjectives and adverbs 44
5.9 Irregular comparative forms 44
5.10 The syntax of comparative sentences 45
5.11 The absolute superlative 46
5.12 Colloquial intensifiers 47
6 Numbers and numerical expressions 48
6.1 Cardinal numbers 48
6.2 Ordinal numbers 49
6.3 Collective numbers 50
6.4 Dates 51
6.5 Clock time 51
6.6 Fractions 53
6.7 Decimal fractions 53
6.8 Percentages 53
6.9 Monetary amounts 54
6.10 Monarchs, popes, etc. 54
7 Personal pronouns 55
7.1 First person pronouns 55
7.2 You 56
7.3 Third person pronouns 58
7.4 Use of subject pronouns 60
7.5 Placement of unstressed object pronouns 61
7.6 More about indirect pronoun objects 65
7.7 Pronouns used with prepositions 66
7.8 Emphatic uses of object pronouns 66
7.9 Non-standard pronouns 67
7.10 Brazilian personal pronoun usage – quick reference tables 68
8 Demonstratives 70
8.1 Introduction 70
8.2 Forms and meaning 70
8.3 Usage 70
8.4 Neuter demonstrative pronouns 72
8.5 Demonstrative adverbs ‘here’ and ‘there’ 73
9 Possessives 75
9.1 Introduction 75
9.2 Forms 75
9.3 Usage 75
9.4 Omission of possessives 77
9.5 próprio‘own’ 78
9.6 Possessives after the verb ser‘to be’ 78
9.7 The second person possessive teu(s)/tua(s) 78
9.8 Special use of the possessive seu(s)/sua(s) 79
10 Relative pronouns 80
10.1 que 80
10.2 quem 80
vi
CONTENTS
10.3 o que 81
10.4 o/a qual,os/as quais 81
10.5 cujo(s),cuja(s) 82
10.6 quanto(s)/quanta(s) 82
10.7 onde 83
10.8 Note on translating ‘when’ as a relative 83
11 Interrogatives 84
11.1 o que 84
11.2 que 84
11.3 qual, quais 84
11.4 quem 85
11.5 quanto(s)/quanta(s) 86
11.6 como 86
11.7 onde 87
11.8 quando 87
11.9 por que 88
11.10 para que 88
11.11 quão 88
11.12 Other points about interrogatives 88
12 Exclamations 91
12.1 que 91
12.2 quanto(s)/quanta(s) 91
12.3 como 91
13 Indefinite adjectives and pronouns 93
13.1 todo(s)/toda(s) 93
13.2 tudo 94
13.3 ambos/as 95
13.4 cada 96
13.5 qualquer 96
13.6 alguém 97
13.7 algum/alguma, alguns/algumas 97
13.8 alguma coisa 98
13.9 algo 98
13.10 outro(s)/outra(s) 98
13.11 tal 99
13.12 Adjectives and pronouns of quantity 100
13.13 Other indefinite adjectives and pronouns 102
13.14 ‘Else’ 103
14 Negatives 104
14.1 não 104
14.2 nada 105
14.3 ninguém 105
14.4 nunca 106
14.5 jamais 106
14.6 nem 106
14.7 nenhum/nenhuma 107
14.8 sem 107
vii
CONTENTS
15 Regular verb conjugations 109
15.1 Introduction to Portuguese verbs: how the system works 109
15.2 The infinitive and the stem 109
15.3 Simple tenses: present indicative 110
15.4 Simple tenses: imperfect indicative 110
15.5 Simple tenses: preterite indicative 111
15.6 Simple tenses: present subjunctive 111
15.7 Simple tenses: imperfect subjunctive 112
15.8 Simple tenses: future subjunctive 112
15.9 Future and conditional tenses 112
15.10 Simple pluperfect tense 113
15.11 Stress patterns in regular verbs 113
15.12 Spelling conventions governing regular verbs 114
16 Semi-irregular and irregular verbs 116
16.1 Radical-changing verbs 116
16.2 Semi-irregular verbs 117
16.3 Irregular verbs 118
17 Gerunds, past participles, compound tenses and the passive 123
17.1 Gerunds 123
17.2 Past participles 124
17.3 Compound tenses 125
17.4 The passive 126
18 Use of the tenses 128
18.1 Present simple 128
18.2 Present continuous 128
18.3 Imperfect 129
18.4 Imperfect continuous 130
18.5 Preterite 130
18.6 Perfect 131
18.7 Pluperfect 131
18.8 Future tense 131
18.9 Future perfect 132
18.10 Conditional 132
18.11 Conditional perfect 133
19 The infinitive 134
19.1 Introduction 134
19.2 Uses of the infinitive 134
19.3 Impersonal vs. personal infinitive 135
19.4 Use of the infinitive after prepositions 136
19.5 Verbs followed by the infinitive 137
19.6 Cases where either the impersonal or personal infinitive
may be used 139
19.7 Personal infinitive with the same subject as the main verb 140
19.8 Position of object pronouns with the infinitive 140
19.9 Other uses of the infinitive 141
20 The subjunctive 143
20.1 Introduction 143
viii
CONTENTS
20.2 Sequence of tenses 143
20.3 The present or imperfect subjunctive in subordinate
clauses 144
20.4 The future or imperfect subjunctive in subordinate
clauses 146
20.5 The subjunctive in conditional clauses 147
20.6 The subjunctive in main clauses 148
20.7 Idiomatic uses of the subjunctive 149
20.8 Subjunctive vs. infinitive 149
20.9 Avoidance of the subjunctive in colloquial speech 149
21 The imperative 150
21.1 Familiar imperative 150
21.2 Formal imperative 151
21.3 Plural imperative 151
22 Reflexive verbs 152
22.1 Introduction 152
22.2 Reflexive object pronouns 152
22.3 Meaning patterns of reflexive verbs 152
22.4 Impersonal se-construction 154
22.5 Reflexive verbs in the spoken language 155
22.6 Other reflexive pronouns 155
23 Ser, estarand ficar 157
23.1 Introduction 157
23.2 ser 157
23.3 estar 159
23.4 ficar 160
23.5 Adjectives used with eitherser or estar 160
23.6 Translating ‘was/were’, ‘has/have been’, etc. 161
23.7 Idiomatic expressions with ser 162
23.8 Idiomatic expressions with estar 163
23.9 Other meanings and idiomatic uses of ficar 165
24 Verbs used in auxiliary, modal and impersonal constructions 167
24.1 Auxiliary constructions 167
24.2 Modal constructions 169
24.3 Impersonal uses of certain verbs 173
25 Prepositions 176
25.1 Basic prepositions: a, com, de,em,para,por 176
25.2 Other simple (one-word) prepositions 183
25.3 Compound prepositions of place 186
25.4 Compound prepositions of time 188
25.5 Other compound prepositions 188
26 Conjunctions 191
26.1 Coordinating conjunctions 191
26.2 Subordinating conjunctions 193
26.3 Preposition vs. conjunction 201
26.4 Gerund vs. conjunction 201
ix