Breakdown of O avô exige respeito, porém, é muito severo para com o jovem.
ser
to be
muito
much / very
o
him/it (m)
o avô
the grandfather
Questions & Answers about O avô exige respeito, porém, é muito severo para com o jovem.
Why do we use para com here instead of just para or com?
Para com translates roughly to "towards" and is used specifically to express an abstract feeling, attitude, or behavior directed at someone. Because the grandfather's strictness (severo) is a behavioral attitude, para com is the perfect choice. While you might hear just com in very casual speech, para com is much more precise and sounds very natural for expressing attitudes at a B2 level.
Could I use mas instead of porém here?
Yes, but porém (however) elevates your vocabulary and adds a slightly more formal tone. A key grammatical difference to remember is that mas (but) must always come at the very beginning of the contrasting clause, whereas porém is more flexible. When porém is used to introduce or interrupt a clause like this, it is set off by commas, exactly like "however" in English.
The verb exigir is a trigger for the subjunctive. Why isn't there any subjunctive in this sentence?
You only use the subjunctive with exigir (to demand) when it introduces a subordinate clause using que—meaning you are demanding that someone do something (for example: O avô exige que o jovem seja respeitoso). In this sentence, the grandfather is simply demanding a direct noun (respeito), so there is no second verb to force into the subjunctive.