Breakdown of Se ele continuar a treinar esgrima, poderá competir em torneios nacionais.
ele
he
em
in
se
if
poder
to be able
treinar
to train
continuar
to continue
a esgrima
the fencing
competir
to compete
o torneio
the tournament
nacional
national
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Questions & Answers about Se ele continuar a treinar esgrima, poderá competir em torneios nacionais.
What is the tense and mood of the verb continuar in the phrase “Se ele continuar a treinar esgrima”?
In Portuguese conditional sentences that refer to future possibilities, the “if” clause employs the future subjunctive. For regular -ar verbs like continuar, the future subjunctive form is identical to the infinitive. That’s why “continuar” appears in its basic form, even though it expresses a future, conditional action.
Why is the expression “continuar a treinar” used instead of “continuar treinando”?
In European Portuguese, the standard construction for expressing the continuation of an action is “continuar a + infinitive.” Although both forms are understood, using “a treinar” is more traditional and preferred in Portugal, while the gerund form “treinando” is more common in Brazilian Portuguese.
What does the phrase “poderá competir” imply, and why is it in the future tense?
“Poderá competir” translates to “he will be able to compete.” The future tense here indicates a result or consequence: if the condition expressed in the “if” clause is met (i.e., if he continues training), then he will have the opportunity to compete in national tournaments.
How is the sentence structured as a conditional sentence?
The sentence is divided into two parts: the condition and the result. The “if” clause (“Se ele continuar a treinar esgrima”) establishes a condition using the future subjunctive, while the main clause (“poderá competir em torneios nacionais”) presents the outcome in the future tense. This structure shows that the possibility of competing is dependent on the continued practice of fencing.
Why is the adjective nacionais placed after the noun torneios in this sentence?
In Portuguese, adjectives often follow the noun they modify when they describe inherent or defining characteristics. Thus, “torneios nacionais” is the natural word order in Portuguese to indicate “national tournaments,” even though in English adjectives typically come before the noun.