Types of Sentences
Portuguese declarative sentences, as in many languages, are the less marked.
Imperative sentences use the imperative mood for the second person. For other grammatical persons and for every negative imperative sentence, the subjunctive is used.
Yes/no questions have the same structure as declarative sentences, and are marked only by a different tonal pattern (mostly a raised tone near the end of the sentence), represented by a question mark («?») in writing. Wh-questions often start with quem ("who"), o que ("what"), qual ("which"), onde ("where"), aonde ("where... to"), quando ("when"), porquê ("why"), etc. Quem, o que and qual can be preceded by any preposition, but in this case o que will most times be replaced by que. In oral language, but often also in writing, these words are followed by the interrogative device é que (literally, "is that"; compare French est-ce que).
Wh-questions sometimes occur without wh-movement, that is, wh-words remain in situ. In this case, o que and porque are to be replaced by their stressed counterparts o quê and porquê'.' (There are also four types of "porquês". When it is the first word in a sentence, comes as "porque"; if it be the last word, "porquê"; if meaning "because", porque; and when it's a noun i.e. meaning "the reason of / in this / about this", hence it comes as "porquê"). For example:
- O que/Que é que ela fez? or O que/que fez ela?
- "What did she do?"
- Ela fez o quê?
- "What did she do?" or, if emphatic, "She did what?"
- Por quê?
- "Why?"
- Em que dia é que isso aconteceu?
- "On what day did that happen?"
- Isso aconteceu em que dia?
- "On what day did that happen?"
In Brazilian Portuguese, the phrase é que is more often omitted.
Read more about this topic: Portuguese Grammar
Famous quotes containing the words types of, types and/or sentences:
“Science is intimately integrated with the whole social structure and cultural tradition. They mutually support one other—only in certain types of society can science flourish, and conversely without a continuous and healthy development and application of science such a society cannot function properly.”
—Talcott Parsons (1902–1979)
“Our children evaluate themselves based on the opinions we have of them. When we use harsh words, biting comments, and a sarcastic tone of voice, we plant the seeds of self-doubt in their developing minds.... Children who receive a steady diet of these types of messages end up feeling powerless, inadequate, and unimportant. They start to believe that they are bad, and that they can never do enough.”
—Stephanie Martson (20th century)
“Methinks the human method of expression by sound of tongue is very elementary, & ought to be substituted for some ingenious invention which should be able to give vent to at least six coherent sentences at once.”
—Virginia Woolf (1882–1941)