Breakdown of As raparigas fizeram um esforço extremo, mesmo exaustas.
a rapariga
the girl
um
a / an / some (all forms)
fazer
to do
os
them (m)
o esforço
the effort
extremo
extreme
mesmo
even (mesmo eu = even I)
exausto
exhausted
Questions & Answers about As raparigas fizeram um esforço extremo, mesmo exaustas.
Why doesn't the phrase mesmo exaustas need a verb, like "mesmo estando exaustas"?
In Portuguese, you can drop the verb in a concessive (yielding) clause when the subject is the same as the main clause. Here, mesmo exaustas is a shorter, elegant way of saying mesmo estando exaustas (even being exhausted). This verbless structure is very common and natural in both speech and writing.
Since mesmo doesn't change here, why does exaustas take the feminine plural form?
Even though the verb is missing, the adjective exaustas still directly describes the subject of the sentence, As raparigas. Therefore, it must agree in gender and number (feminine plural) with that subject. The word mesmo acts as an invariable adverb (meaning "even") and does not affect the adjective's agreement.
Could I place the adjective before the noun and say um extremo esforço?
You could, but it changes the tone. Placing the adjective first (um extremo esforço) sounds more poetic, subjective, or dramatically emphasized. For a factual, objective description of physical or mental strain, placing the adjective after the noun (um esforço extremo) is the standard and most natural choice.
Why is the Pretérito Perfeito (fizeram) used here instead of the Imperfeito (faziam)?
Using fizeram indicates that this extreme effort was a specific, completed event with a clear beginning and end. If you used faziam, it would change the meaning to imply an ongoing background action (they were making an effort) or a repeated habit in the past (they used to make an effort).
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