Breakdown of Fazemos a patrulha para afastar qualquer intruso.
para
to / for
fazer
to do
qualquer
any (whichever)
afastar
to ward off
a patrulha
the patrol
o intruso
the intruder
Questions & Answers about Fazemos a patrulha para afastar qualquer intruso.
Why do we use the impersonal infinitive afastar instead of the personal infinitive afastarmos, given that the subject is 'we'?
Because the subject of the main verb (Fazemos) and the purpose clause is the same ('we'). In Portuguese, when the subject doesn't change between the main clause and a prepositional clause, it is standard to use the basic, impersonal infinitive.
Why is para used here rather than por to mean 'to'?
How does the word qualquer behave if we change the sentence to refer to multiple intruders?
Could I use evitar instead of afastar in this sentence?
It would slightly change the meaning. Evitar means 'to avoid' or 'to prevent' an event. Afastar literally means 'to push away' or 'to distance', implying the patrol will actively repel any intruder that tries to approach.
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