B1Lesson 8: Sentence Architecture
Brazilian sentences often expand around direct objects, indirect complements, and predicative elements. Seeing these roles clearly makes longer clauses easier to read and produce.
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Brazilian sentences often expand around direct objects, indirect complements, and predicative elements. Seeing these roles clearly makes longer clauses easier to read and produce.
Once you can distinguish objects, complements, and predicatives, the internal logic of the sentence becomes much clearer. That matters for pronouns, agreement, passive forms, and clause building.
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| Rule 1 | A direct object normally answers "what?" or "whom?": "comprei o ingresso". |
| Rule 2 | A prepositional complement depends on the verb, noun, or adjective: "gostar de música", "precisar de ajuda". |
| Rule 3 | A subject predicative says what the subject is like or becomes: "o apartamento está vazio". |
| Rule 4 | An object predicative says what someone calls, considers, or makes the object: "chamaram o menino de gênio". |
