Breakdown of É possível que o alarme soe, porque há um teste hoje.
ser
to be
um
a / an / some (all forms)
haver
to be (there is / there are)
hoje
today
porque
because
que
that (conjunction)
o teste
the test
possível
possible
o alarme
the alarm
soar
to sound
Questions & Answers about É possível que o alarme soe, porque há um teste hoje.
Why is the verb soe in the subjunctive instead of the normal present tense?
The phrase É possível que (It is possible that) expresses doubt or uncertainty. Just like the word caso (in case) that you are learning in this lesson, expressions of possibility trigger the present subjunctive mood for the following verb. That is why the normal present tense soa becomes the subjunctive soe.
What is the infinitive of the verb soe?
The infinitive is soar, which means to sound or to ring. Because it is an -ar verb, it takes an -e ending in the present subjunctive for the he/she/it form. Watch out: it looks very similar to suar (to sweat), which becomes sue in the subjunctive!
Why doesn't the subjunctive carry over to the verb há later in the sentence?
The subjunctive mood is only triggered for the specific clause linked to the uncertainty (the alarm sounding). The second half of the sentence, porque há um teste hoje, states a concrete fact (there is a test today). Therefore, it uses the regular present indicative verb há.
Could I use pode ser que instead of é possível que here?
Yes, pode ser que is a very common alternative that also means 'it might be that' or 'it is possible that'. Just like é possível que, it also triggers the present subjunctive, so the verb would remain soe.
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