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Foi difícil descartar as ideias menos úteis, mas tornou o projeto mais objetivo.

Foi difícil descartar as ideias menos úteis, mas tornou o projeto mais objetivo.
It was hard to discard the less useful ideas, but it made the project more focused.
FromLesson 15inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Foi difícil descartar as ideias menos úteis, mas tornou o projeto mais objetivo.

ser
to be
mas
but
mais
more
o projeto
the project
menos
less
o
the
a ideia
the idea
difícil
hard
útil
useful
descartar
to discard

Questions & Answers about Foi difícil descartar as ideias menos úteis, mas tornou o projeto mais objetivo.

What does the word descartar mean, and why is it used in the infinitive form here?
Descartar means “to discard” or “to get rid of.” In this sentence, the infinitive form follows the impersonal expression foi difícil (“it was difficult”), which is a common construction in Portuguese when expressing that something was hard to do.
How does the phrase as ideias menos úteis function in the sentence?
The phrase as ideias menos úteis is the direct object of the verb descartar. It literally means “the less useful ideas” and specifies what was difficult to discard.
What does tornou mean in this context, and how is it connected to the rest of the sentence?
Tornou is the third-person singular preterite form of the verb tornar, meaning “to make” or “to turn.” In this sentence, it shows that the act of discarding the less useful ideas had the effect of making the project mais objetivo (“more objective”).
How does the word mas function in this sentence?
Mas is a conjunction meaning “but.” It introduces a contrast between the difficulty of discarding the unnecessary ideas and the positive outcome of the project becoming more objective.
What does the phrase mais objetivo imply about the project, and how is the comparative form constructed in Portuguese?
The phrase mais objetivo implies that the project became clearer, more focused, or less ambiguous. The comparative form is constructed with mais (“more”) followed by the adjective objetivo (“objective”), similar to forming comparatives in English.
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