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O cão inofensivo apavora a vizinha e ela desata a correr descontroladamente.

O cão inofensivo apavora a vizinha e ela desata a correr descontroladamente.
The harmless dog terrifies the neighbor and she starts running uncontrollably.
From Lesson 386:Starting suddenly (pôr-se a, desatar a)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O cão inofensivo apavora a vizinha e ela desata a correr descontroladamente.

Why is desata a correr used here instead of just começa a correr?
Desatar a followed by an infinitive is a structure used to express that an action started suddenly, abruptly, or even uncontrollably. While começa a just means 'starts to', desata a adds the dramatic nuance that she suddenly bolted or broke into a run.
Can I use desatar a with any verb?
Usually, no. It is mostly used with actions involving sudden physical movement or emotional outbursts. The most common combinations you will hear are desatar a chorar (burst into tears), desatar a rir (burst out laughing), desatar a correr (break into a run), and desatar a falar (start blabbering).
Why is the pronoun ela included before desata? Doesn't Portuguese usually drop subject pronouns?
Yes, pronouns are usually dropped when the subject is obvious. However, in this sentence, both verbs (apavora and desata) are in the third-person singular. Including ela clearly signals to the listener that the subject has just switched from the dog (o cão) to the neighbor (a vizinha).
What is the difference between apavora and assusta?
Apavora is much stronger. While assustar means 'to scare' or 'to frighten', apavorar comes from the noun pavor (dread or terror) and means 'to terrify'. This extreme fear explains her dramatic reaction.
How is the word descontroladamente formed?
It is built from the adjective descontrolado (uncontrolled). To form an adverb in Portuguese, you take the feminine singular form of the adjective, which is descontrolada, and add the suffix -mente to mean 'uncontrollably'.

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