Breakdown of Se a candidata mostrar esforço e experiência, terá uma oportunidade melhor no processo.
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Questions & Answers about Se a candidata mostrar esforço e experiência, terá uma oportunidade melhor no processo.
Why is mostrar used after se? Why not mostra or mostrará?
After se, Portuguese often uses the future subjunctive when the condition refers to a future possibility.
So:
- Se a candidata mostrar... = If the candidate shows...
Here, mostrar is not just the infinitive in meaning. It is the future subjunctive form, which happens to look exactly like the infinitive for regular -ar verbs.
Why not the others?
- mostra would sound more like a habitual or general statement in some contexts
- mostrará is not the normal form after se in this kind of conditional sentence
A very common pattern is:
Is mostrar here the infinitive or a verb tense?
It is a verb tense: the future subjunctive.
For many verbs, especially regular -ar verbs, the future subjunctive looks exactly like the infinitive:
- infinitive: mostrar
- future subjunctive: mostrar
So the form is the same, but the grammar role is different.
In this sentence, because it comes after se and talks about a future condition, native speakers understand it as future subjunctive.
Why is terá used in the second part?