Breakdown of Eles têm levado os cestos de uvas para o trator.
de
of / from / by (means of transport) / wearing (attire)
eles
they (m)
ter
to have
para
to / for
levar
to take (somewhere)
a uva
the grape
o trator
the tractor
o cesto
the basket
Questions & Answers about Eles têm levado os cestos de uvas para o trator.
Why does têm levado translate to 'have been carrying' instead of just 'have carried'?
In Portuguese, the Pretérito Perfeito Composto (formed here with têm + levado) is used for actions that started in the past and are still repeating or continuing in the present. Because of this ongoing repetition, it usually translates to the English 'have been doing' rather than 'have done' (which would imply the action is completely finished).
Why is there an accent mark on têm?
The circumflex accent on têm shows that the verb is in the plural form to match eles (they). The singular form (he or she has) is written as tem without the accent, so the accent is the only way to tell them apart in writing.
Why do we use para instead of a for 'to the tractor'?
The preposition para is used here because it emphasizes the final physical destination of the movement. When transporting objects or moving towards a specific physical place to stay there or leave things there, para is the most natural choice.
Why is the verb levar used here instead of trazer?
Levar means to take or carry something away from where the speaker currently is. If the speaker used trazer (to bring), it would mean they were bringing the baskets towards the speaker instead of taking them away to the tractor.
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