Hello, everyone. How are you? Alessandro and I were talking about whether English students should learn Grammar or not… Well, I think that when you first start learning a language, you should concentrate on learning communicative sentences.

I suggest that you go to sharedtalk to talk with native speakers in the English room. Notice the sentences they use to talk to each other. Then write down the sentences that you want to use yourself in a chat. Since native speakers said them, they will be grammatically correct and you can just plug them in to your own conversation. We can learn a new language like a child learns.

If a child makes a mistake and says , “Mommie, I goed outside!” the mother does not say, “No, sweetheart, you can’t say, “I goed outside because the verb “to go” is irregular and the past tense of ‘to go’ is I went”. Mommie will just correct her and say, “No, honey, you went outside.” “Oh yeah, I went outside, Mommie.” Using grammar can come later, when you reach an intermediate stage. Native speakers at sharedtalk will correct you if you want, and if they do not understand you, they will try to help you be clearer. For beginners, it may be helpful for the speaker to translate the sentences you do not understand, typing bilingually.

I hope this helps.

Salve, minha gente! Nosso tópico hoje é algo que a muitos alunos do nível intermediário causa problemas de uso: although, though, even though, in spite of e despite. Andei fuçando em vários livros e sites e achei uma explicação bem legal no Grammar in Use, do Raymond Murphy (Editora Cambridge), um livro que vale a pena ter em casa como referência.

1) Depois de although usamos um sujeito + verbo:

Although it rained a lot, we enjoyed our holiday. (Embora tenha chovido muito, nós aproveitamos nosso feriado)

I didn’t get the job although I had all the necessary qualifications. (Não consegui o emprego, embora eu tivesse todas as qualificações necessárias.)

2) Depois de in spite of ou despite (apesar de), usamos um substantivo, um pronome (this/that/what etc.) ou a forma do gerúndio –ing.

In spite of the rain, we enjoyed our holiday. (Apesar da chuva, aproveitamos nosso feriado.)

I didn’t get the job in spite of having all the necessary qualifications. (Não consegui o emprego apesar de ter todas as qualificações necessárias.)

She wasn’t well, but in spite of this she went to work. (Ela não estava bem, mas apesar disso ela foi trabalhar.)

In spite of what I said yesterday, I still love you. (Apesar do que eu te disse ontem, eu ainda te amo.)

Despite tem o mesmo uso que in spite of, mas nunca leva o OF. Pode-se também usar as formas “in spite of the fact (that)…” e “despite the fact (that)…”

I didn’t get the job in spite of / despite the fact that I had all the necessary qualifications.

3) Às vezes usa-se though em vez de although:

I didn’t get the job though I had all the necessary qualifications.

Geralmente though vem sempre no início da frase:

Though it rained a lot, we enjoyed our holiday.

No inglês falado, sempre se vê though no fim da frase, significando “but” ou “however”.

The house isn’t very nice. I like the garden though. (= but I like the garden)

4) Even though é uma forma mais enfática de although:

Even though I was really tired, I couldn´t sleep.

The preterite is used to express past actions that have been completed. They are often contrasted with another action that is taking place in the background when an event occurs. We often use the imperfect to set the background and context in which an action took place, and the action is expressed in the Past Definite (simple past).

Eles assistiam televisão quando o telefone tocou.
They were watching television when the phone rang.

Eu estudei Português ontem.
I studied Portuguese yesterday.
(When you use a word like yesterday, which pinpoints a definite time, you use the past definite).

Ontem falei com Mary.
Yesterday I talked to Mary.

Ele trabalhou semana passada.
He worked last week. (Last week is a definite time).

Ele não trabalhou semana passada.
He did not work last week.

Choveu ontem à noite.
It rained last night.

Ela vendeu o carro.
She sold the car.

Abrimos a loja.
We opened the store.

With many thanks to my collaborator Mat Pestana.

The imperfect (eu falava) is used to express an action that was happening in the past, in a continuous manner, as well as for repeated or habitual past actions. It is also used to describe the background of a story being narrated. It is not was well defined in terms of time as the preterite.

Eu falava can be I was speaking, or I used to speak.

Eu falava com o professor até o telefone tocar.
I was talking to the teacher until the phone rang.

Let’s look at some other examples:

Eu falava com Alessandro todos os dias.
I used to speak to Alessandro every day.

Nós líamos quando Mat chegou.
We were reading when Mat arrived.

Aonde ia o senhor quando o vi?
Where were you going when I saw you?

Quando eu era criança, eu não gostava de ir à escola.
When I was a child, I did not like to go to school.

Meu marido nadava todos os dias, mas agora não pode pois está frio.
My husband used to swim everyday, but now he can’t since it is cold.
(It was a habit, but now he does not).

Os senhores vivíam no Rio de Janeiro.
The men used to live in Rio.

Havia muita gente na festa.
There were a lot of people at the party.

O livro estava na mesa.
The book was on the table.

With many thanks to my collaborator: Mat Pestana

Hello everyone!

Queria destacar para vocês, sendo que são aprendizes bem ligados aos detalhes da nossa lingua inglesa, um verbo bem útil: to become.

This verb has many meanings in English which cover the use of several Portuguese verbs: chegar a ser, tornar-se, virar, ficar, and fazer-se. Let’s take a look.

When you are describing someone gaining a new position, or otherwise accomplishing an intellectual feat, ‘to become’ is used where you would use ‘chegar a ser.’ Example: After years of hard work, he finally became head of the company.

When a Portuguese speaker would describe a change of character using the verb ‘virar,’ it is acceptable to use ‘to become’ in English, though I believe ‘virar’ translates much better as ‘turn into.’ Example: My buddy doesn’t want to go out tonight… I think he’s turned into a fun-sponge. [note: 'fun-sponge' é uma giria nossa ótima, significa alguem que não gosta de curtir ou se divertir.]

For changes of state where Portuguese speakers would say ‘ficar…’ it’s usually okay to say ‘to become.’ Examples: He became really embarrassed.

How about substituting ‘tornar-se em’ in the sense of ‘becoming’ something, like a writer or musician? Again, ‘to become’ works perfectly. Example: I kept practicing and eventually became a great singer.

The last way you can use ‘become’ in English is a way of translating ‘fazer-se.’ Example: You can become rich by working hard and keeping a good attitude.

Thanks to Alessandro for setting me up to contribute to English Experts.