C1Lesson 2: Advanced Discourse Cohesion
Brazilian Portuguese creates sophisticated textual cohesion through anaphoric references (pointing back to previously mentioned elements) and cataphoric references (pointing forward to upcoming elements), using pronouns, demonstratives, synonyms, and null subjects in patterns that differ significantly from English.
This is a partial preview of the article.
Unlock the full explanation and all practice exercises for this C1 lesson.
Join Falando to access grammar from all CEFR levels.
References work like linguistic pointers, creating connections across sentences and paragraphs:
Anaphora refers back to something already mentioned (the antecedent):
| Device Type | Example | Translation | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Pronouns | João chegou. Ele estava atrasado. | João arrived. He was late. | Most common |
| Demonstratives | Vi dois filmes. Este era melhor. | I saw two films. This one was better. | Emphasizes proximity |
| Zero Anaphora | Maria saiu. Ø Foi ao banco. | Maria left. (She) Went to the bank. | Very common in BP |
| Possessives | Ana ligou. Seu tom era sério. | Ana called. Her tone was serious. | Shows relationship |
| Relative Pronouns | O livro que comprei é ótimo. | The book that I bought is great. | Links clauses |
| Synonyms | O presidente falou. O líder estava calmo. | The president spoke. The leader was calm. | Avoids repetition |
| Hypernyms | Comprei um Toyota. O carro é econômico. | I bought a Toyota. The car is economical. | General term for specific |
