Question 1

Why use pois here instead of porque?

Accepted Answer

Both mean "because", but pois is slightly more formal and often used in writing to justify the previous statement. When used to explain a reason, pois must follow a comma, whereas porque usually does not require one.

Question 2

A vizinhança means a group of neighbors. Why is the verb vigia singular?

Accepted Answer

Even though it represents multiple people, a vizinhança (the neighborhood) is a collective noun that is grammatically singular. Because of this, it takes the third-person singular verb form vigia.

Question 3

Is there a difference between assaltos and roubos?

Accepted Answer

Yes. An assalto implies a robbery or mugging, often involving direct confrontation, force, or a break-in. A roubo is a broader term for theft that can happen without the victim being present or aware.

Question 4

How could I use the discourse marker ora with this sentence?

Accepted Answer

If you were responding to a question like "Why is this street so safe?", you could reply: Ora, a vizinhança vigia a rua... (Well, the neighborhood watches the street...). Here, ora is used at the start to introduce your premise or explanation.

Question 5

Since assaltos is plural, why isn't the verb haver pluralized as well?

Accepted Answer

When haver is used to mean "there is" or "there are" (existence), it is an impersonal verb. This means it stays in the third-person singular (há) regardless of whether the noun that follows is singular or plural.

A vizinhança vigia a rua, pois há assaltos.

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