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Questions & Answers about O diretor ajuda a Ana.
Why is the preposition a used before Ana in this sentence?
In Portuguese, when the direct object of a verb is a specific person, the language requires the use of the personal a. This marker, which doesn’t have a direct equivalent in English, signals that Ana is a person who is directly receiving the action of the verb.
What function does the definite article O serve in O diretor?
The article O is the masculine singular definite article, equivalent to “the” in English. It specifies that the noun diretor is a specific individual and also indicates that the noun is masculine.
How is the verb ajuda conjugated, and what does it indicate in this sentence?
Ajuda is the third person singular form of the verb ajudar (to help) in the present tense. It shows that the subject, O diretor, is performing the action of helping in the present moment.
Does Portuguese always require the use of the personal a when referring to people as direct objects?
Yes, when the direct object is a specific person, Portuguese grammar generally requires the personal a. This rule helps distinguish human or animate direct objects from inanimate ones, which do not need the preposition.
How does the word order in O diretor ajuda a Ana compare to the typical English sentence structure?
The sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, just like in English. However, Portuguese uniquely inserts the personal a before a direct object that represents a person, which is not a feature in English.
Would the construction change if the direct object were an inanimate object instead of a person?
Yes, it would. When the direct object is an inanimate object (for example, o livro meaning “the book”), the personal a is not used. The sentence would simply be structured as O diretor ajuda o livro without any additional preposition before the object.