Breakdown of Discordo, e não acho que a sociedade compreenda o problema.
e
and
não
not / no
o problema
the problem
compreender
to understand
achar
to reckon / to find
que
that (conjunction)
discordar
to disagree
a sociedade
the society
Questions & Answers about Discordo, e não acho que a sociedade compreenda o problema.
Why do we use compreenda (subjunctive) instead of compreende (indicative) here?
Because of the phrase não acho que (I don't think that). Expressing a negative opinion or denial triggers the subjunctive mood for the following verb. If the sentence were positive, it would state a belief or certainty and use the indicative: acho que a sociedade compreende.
Why isn't the first verb, discordo, also in the subjunctive since it expresses a negative idea?
The subjunctive is used in the dependent clause (the part after que) to show doubt or subjectivity. Discordo is the main verb of the sentence, stating the absolute fact that you disagree, so it stays in the normal indicative mood.
How is the subjunctive form compreenda built?
To form the present subjunctive for regular -er verbs like compreender, you start with the eu form of the present indicative (compreendo). You drop the -o and add the opposite vowel endings. For a sociedade (she/it), the ending is -a, giving us compreenda.
If I wanted to add who or what I disagree with after discordo, how would I do it?
The verb discordar pairs with the preposition de. So if you wanted to say 'I disagree with you', you would say discordo de ti. In this sentence, it just means 'I disagree' in general, so no preposition is needed.
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