Breakdown of Participante e Pedro estudam para o exame.
Pedro
Pedro
estudar
to study
e
and
para
for
o exame
the exam
o participante
the participant
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Participante e Pedro estudam para o exame.
Why is the verb “estudam” in the plural form instead of singular “estuda”?
Because the sentence has a compound subject—“Participante e Pedro”—and in Portuguese, when two subjects are joined by “e” (and), the verb must agree with both, which means it takes the plural form.
Is it acceptable to join a common noun like “Participante” with a proper noun like “Pedro” without an article before “Participante”?
Yes, it is acceptable. Depending on the context or stylistic choice, Portuguese sometimes omits the definite article before a common noun when it forms part of a compound subject. Both “Participante e Pedro” and “O participante e Pedro” can be used, although context may dictate which is more appropriate.
What role does the phrase “para o exame” play in the sentence?
“Para o exame” is an adverbial prepositional phrase that indicates the purpose of the action. It means “for the exam,” specifying why the subjects are studying.
How is subject-verb agreement determined in a compound subject like this one?
In a compound subject where two or more subjects are connected by “e,” the verb must agree with the plural subject. Here, since both “Participante” and “Pedro” are doing the action together, the verb “estudam” is correctly conjugated in the plural form.
Does the order of the subjects (“Participante” and “Pedro”) affect the meaning of the sentence?
No, the order of the subjects does not change the overall meaning. In a compound subject connected by “e,” the order is flexible and does not alter the grammatical or semantic structure of the sentence.