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O que é que tu fazes caso ocorra um incêndio?

O que é que tu fazes caso ocorra um incêndio?
What do you do in case a fire occurs?
From Lesson 209:Conditional clauses (caso)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O que é que tu fazes caso ocorra um incêndio?

Why is the verb ocorra used here instead of the normal present tense ocorre?
The word caso (in case) introduces a hypothetical or conditional situation. In Portuguese, the conjunction caso always requires the verb that follows it to be in the subjunctive mood. Because we are talking about a general or future possibility, we use the present subjunctive form ocorra.
Could I use se (if) instead of caso for this sentence?
Yes, but you would have to change the verb tense! While caso triggers the present subjunctive (caso ocorra), the word se used for future possibilities requires the future subjunctive. So, if you swap them, it becomes se ocorrer um incêndio.
Why does the sentence start with O que é que instead of just O que?
Both mean 'what', but adding é que is extremely common in spoken Portuguese. It literally means 'what is it that', but natives use it as a standard question block because it makes the sentence flow more naturally and tells the listener immediately that a question is coming.
Why is the subject um incêndio at the very end of the sentence, after the verb?
In Portuguese, it is very common to put the verb before the subject in dependent clauses (like the one starting with caso), especially when the subject introduces a new event. You could grammatically say caso um incêndio ocorra, but caso ocorra um incêndio sounds more natural.

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