Breakdown of É que não recebi a convocatória, senão comparecia.
não
not / no
receber
to receive
é que
is that
senão
otherwise
a convocatória
the summons
comparecer
to attend (to show up)
Questions & Answers about É que não recebi a convocatória, senão comparecia.
Why start the sentence with É que instead of just saying Não recebi...?
É que is a very common conversational marker used to introduce a justification or excuse. It translates to 'The thing is...' or 'It's just that...'. Using it makes the speaker sound like they are explaining a misunderstanding rather than just stating a cold fact.
Why does the sentence use the imperfect tense comparecia to mean 'I would attend' instead of the conditional compareceria?
In spoken European Portuguese, the imperfect tense is frequently used instead of the conditional to express what 'would' happen. It sounds much more natural and conversational to say senão comparecia rather than the strictly formal senão compareceria.
What is the difference between senão (one word) and se não (two words)?
Is comparecer the standard word for 'to attend'?
It is the best word for formally 'showing up' or 'being present' at a meeting, election, or official gathering, which pairs perfectly with receiving a convocatória (a formal summons or notice). For attending a class or watching a show as an audience member, you would use assistir a instead.
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