3rd Edition
Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar A Practical Guide
Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar: A Practical Guide is an innovative reference guide to Brazilian Portuguese, combining traditional and function-based grammar in a single volume.
The Grammar is divided into two parts. Part A covers traditional grammatical categories such as agreement, nouns, verbs and adjectives. Part B is carefully organized around language functions covering all major communication situations such as establishing identity, making contact and expressing likes, dislikes and preferences. With a strong emphasis on contemporary usage, all grammar points and functions are richly illustrated with examples. Building on the success of the second edition, this third edition provides new and extended notes for Spanish speakers, which focus on common difficulties faced by learners of Portuguese, as well as revised explanations of grammar and usage, which include the use of ‘tu’ in Portuguese.
A combination of reference grammar and practical usage manual, complemented by a Companion Website with audiovisual material and a separate Workbook designed to accompany the Grammar, this textbook is the ideal source for learners of Brazilian Portuguese at all levels, from beginner to advanced.
Preface to the third edition
Preface to the second edition
Introduction to this book
Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese
Glossary of grammatical terms
Part A Structures
1 Pronunciation and spelling
2 Gender and gender agreement
3 Number and number agreement
4 Articles
5 Adjectives and adverbs
6 Numbers and numerical expressions
7 Personal pronouns
8 Demonstratives
9 Possessives
10 Relative pronouns
11 Interrogatives
12 Exclamations
13 Indefinite adjectives and pronouns
14 Negatives
15 Regular verb conjugations
16 Semi-irregular and irregular verbs
17 Gerunds, past participles, compound perfect tenses and the passive
18 Use of the tenses
19 The infinitive
20 The subjunctive
21 The imperative
22 Reflexive verbs
23 Ser, estar and ficar
24 Verbs used in auxiliary, modal and impersonal constructions
25 Prepositions
26 Conjunctions
27 Word order
28 Word formation
Part B Functions
I Social contact and communication strategies
29 Making social contacts
30 Basic strategies for communication
II Giving and seeking factual information
31 Asking questions and responding
32 Negating
33 Reporting
34 Asking and giving personal information
35 Identifying people and things
36 Describing
37 Making comparisons
38 Expressing existence and availability
39 Expressing location and distance
40 Expressing possessive relations
41 Expressing changes
42 Expressing cause, effect and purpose
III Putting events into a wider context
43 Expressing knowledge
44 Remembering and forgetting
45 Expressing obligation and duty
46 Expressing needs
47 Expressing possibility and probability
48 Expressing certainty and uncertainty
49 Expressing supposition
50 Expressing conditions
51 Expressing contrast or opposition
52 Expressing capability and incapability
53 Seeking and giving permission
54 Asking and giving opinions
55 Expressing agreement, disagreement and indifference
IV Expressing emotional attitudes
56 Expressing desires and preferences
57 Expressing likes and dislikes
58 Expressing surprise
59 Expressing satisfaction and dissatisfaction
60 Expressing hope
61 Expressing sympathy
62 Apologizing and expressing forgiveness
63 Expressing fear or worry
64 Expressing gratitude
V The language of persuasion
65 Giving advice and making suggestions
66 Making requests
67 Giving directions, instructions and orders
68 Making an offer or invitation and accepting or declining
VI Expressing temporal relations
69 Talking about the present
70 Talking about the future
71 Talking about the past
Appendices
Bibliography
Index of words and topics
Biography
John Whitlam was a freelance writer, university lecturer and lexicographer based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He authored a number of language teaching books and project-coordinated and co-authored four best-selling bilingual dictionaries of Portuguese and English.
Agripino S. Silveira is Lecturer in Portuguese at Stanford Language Center, Stanford University, USA.
"Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar is very comprehensive, bringing thorough description and analysis of real life language in use. The author shows a deep knowledge of the many idiosyncrasies of Brazilian Portuguese, always referring to the existing differences related to register and spoken versus written language. Differently from other Portuguese grammars for non-native speakers, it focusses on didactically describing how the language is used in its different registers, even the more colloquial style, presenting valuable information to learners so that they are aware of when a given form is used. Also, the fact that it is divided into two parts (traditional grammar and function-based grammar), which are clearly interconnected in each section, makes it easier for students to look up any information they may need.
The fact that there is a companion workbook makes it appealing to students as they can practise the grammar points studied. Learners are provided a set of useful exercises related to both traditional grammar and function-based grammar, which focus on important and often challenging aspects of the Portuguese language."
Dr. José Peixoto Coelho de Souza, Language Tutor in Portuguese, University of Manchester, UK.
"Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar continues to be a wonderful supplement to the textbooks that I use in my language courses. It captures and presents problematic instances in an organized format. The examples and brief explanations are clear and relevant. This reference guide is essential for anyone who wants to master a nuanced understanding of Brazilian Portuguese."
Dr. Cynthia A. Sloan, Associate Professor of Portuguese and Spanish, Portland State University, USA.
