Breakdown of O professor pediu para descrevermos o nosso fim de semana em poucas palavras.
em
in
a palavra
the word
para
to
o fim de semana
the weekend
nosso
our
pedir
to ask
o professor
the teacher
descrever
to describe
pouco
few
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Questions & Answers about O professor pediu para descrevermos o nosso fim de semana em poucas palavras.
What does the sentence "O professor pediu para descrevermos o nosso fim de semana em poucas palavras" mean in English?
It means "The teacher asked us to describe our weekend in a few words." The sentence indicates that the teacher requested the students to give a brief description of their weekend.
Why is the form descrevermos used instead of the basic infinitive descrever?
Descrevermos is the personal infinitive form of the verb, showing agreement with the first-person plural subject (implied "we"). This form clarifies that it is the students who should perform the action, whereas the basic infinitive (descrever) would not indicate who is expected to describe.
What role does the preposition para play in this sentence?
The preposition para connects the verb pediu (asked/requested) with the action that follows. It indicates purpose, meaning "to" in the sense that the teacher asked for the students to perform the action of describing their weekend.
How is the verb pediu conjugated, and which tense is it?
Pediu is the third person singular form of the verb pedir in the simple past (preterite) tense. It means "asked" or "requested," indicating that the teacher made the request in the past.
What does the expression fim de semana mean in English?
Fim de semana translates directly to "weekend." It refers to the end of the week, typically covering Saturday and Sunday.
What is the function of the phrase em poucas palavras in the sentence?
The phrase em poucas palavras means "in a few words." It qualifies the teacher’s request by specifying that the description of the weekend should be concise and brief.
Could the sentence be rephrased using a different construction, such as "O professor pediu que descrevêssemos o nosso fim de semana em poucas palavras"? If so, what is the difference?
Yes, the sentence can be rephrased as "O professor pediu que descrevêssemos o nosso fim de semana em poucas palavras." In this version, the structure uses "que" followed by the verb in the past subjunctive (descrevêssemos). Both constructions are correct in European Portuguese. The original employs para with the personal infinitive (descrevermos) to directly link the request to the action, while the alternative form uses a subordinate clause. The choice between them is largely a matter of stylistic preference.