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Chapters.
2 Return Policy p. 24
Part 1.
Video Script When we talk about sales, we can’t ignore that the United States has great
potential. There is a whole system to please the customers and make sure they
will be back for more. So, in this chapter, you will see some tips on how to enjoy
this shoppers’ paradise to the fullest. Besides that, you will also learn some
language items that will help you improve your English skills. Now, look at the
script of: Shopping in the U.S.
SHOPPING IN THE U. S.
Lucy:
Sure! Well, typically if someone has a question for me about a product
or they’re trying to find something, they’ll come up to me and say, “Hi,
excuse me, can I ask you a question? Where would I find a nightgown?”
And then I’ll tell them where to find it. Or maybe they want to know:
“Does it come in a different size?” So, they’ll say, “Hey, does this shirt
come in size small?”
Lucas:
And one important thing I think to note is that Lucy works at a store that
has a lot of different
departments in it. So, a giant store like the one that we’re in right now,
where you might then often direct people to certain departments, or
certain sections of the store.
Lucy:
Exactly! Where are electronics and things like that!
Amy:
Do you think that there’s a big difference between working in a larger
store like this versus a boutique, with the salesperson experience?
Lucy:
I think so. I think a salesperson in a boutique is much more...sort of
intimate interaction, where maybe I would really be helping them try to
pick out an outfit or something like that. Whereas in a bigger store, not
so much.
Lucas:
It’s important to know exactly how to approach someone and, correct
me if I’m wrong, but one very safe way to approach a customer service
representative is just by walking up to them, getting close to them, so that
they can hear you say, “Hey, excuse me. Can you help me with something?”
We appreciate you, Lucy! Thank you for helping us out with this!
Lucy:
Absolutely! My pleasure!
Lucy:
Claro! Normalmente, se alguém tem dúvida sobre um produto, ou se
está tentando achar algo, vai vir falar comigo e dizer: “Oi, com licença!
Eu poderia fazer uma pergunta? Onde posso achar uma camisola?” E,
então, eu informo onde a pessoa pode achá-la. Ou talvez queiram saber
se um artigo é vendido em outro tamanho. Então, vão perguntar: “Você
tem essa camisa no tamanho P?”
Lucas:
E algo importante de se lembrar é que a Lucy trabalha em uma loja com
diferentes departamentos. Logo, em uma loja grande, com o mesmo
tamanho do da que estamos agora, você pode acabar encaminhando
clientes para outros departamentos, ou outras partes da loja.
Lucy:
Exatamente! Onde fica a parte de eletrônicos e coisas do tipo.
Amy:
Você acha que há uma grande diferença entre trabalhar em uma loja
maior como essa e em uma boutique, quando o assunto é trabalhar com
vendas?
Lucy:
Sim. Acho que a relação de um vendedor em uma loja menor é bem
mais intimista; é uma interação em que eu estaria dando mais apoio ao
cliente ao tentar escolher um look ou algo do tipo. Já em uma loja maior,
essa situação não acontece.
Lucas:
É importante saber como chamar a atenção de alguém, e, por favor,
me corrija caso eu fale algo errado, mas um jeito tranquilo de se pedir
ajuda a um vendedor é simplesmente se aproximar, para que ele possa
te ouvir, e dizer: “Com licença, você poderia me dar uma ajuda?” Muito
obrigado, Lucy! Obrigado por nos ajudar!
Lucy:
Sem problemas! O prazer é todo meu!
Part 2.
Vocabulary Depending on the kind of store, there will be a difference on the price of the products and on
the kind of assistance you can get.
If you are looking for something specific, go to one of these stores:
KINDS OF STORES
Shoe stores
Clothing stores Cosmetics stores
Lojas de calçados /
Lojas de roupas Lojas de cosméticos
Sapatarias
You can easily find all that in shopping malls. At specialized stores, the
salespeople will probably approach you and say:
GREE TINGS
The sales associate may offer to take you to the section or just
give you the directions to get there, for example:
Even though the following farewells are very common, they are too
informal, unfit for this situation. So, avoid saying:
T YPES OF SALES
Remember that the price you see on the price tag is not the final
amount you are going to pay. You have to add the sales taxes to it.
Sales taxes vary from state to state; that’s why it is really important
to do some research before you travel to learn these values. You
may use an online research website and type:
Depending on the state, you may get a tax refund. Check if the
state you are visiting has this policy by typing:
Part 3.
Vocabulary
A. Number the columns according to the translation of the words.
Activities
(4)T
o browse around ( ) Terceiro andar
( 12 ) T
ax refund ( )S
eção de eletrônicos
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word according to the translation.
Part 4.
Grammar In this chapter, we are going to talk about the simple present of the verb to be, the
present continuous, subject pronouns, the question word where, and the spelling
rules of verbs in the -ING form.
We use the verb to be to talk about location, feelings, nationality, characteristics,
occupation, among others. Let’s see some examples that convey location. Check it out:
NOUNS
VERB TO BE
Affirmative Form
SUBJECT + VERB TO BE + COMPLEMENT
Sujeito + Verbo To Be + Complemento
Negative Form
SUBJECT + VERB TO BE + NOT + COMPLEMENT
Sujeito + Verbo To Be + Not + Complemento
Interrogative form
VERB TO BE + SUBJECT + COMPLEMENT
Verbo To Be + Sujeito + Complemento
And even though the verb to be has a different conjugation for each person, this
general structure won’t change. And we very often use it with subject pronouns.
Let’s take a look at them:
SUBJE CT PRONOUNS
Singular Plural
I = eu we = nós
you = tu; você you = vós; vocês
he = ele (gênero masculino) they = eles/elas ( pessoas, animais,
she = ela (gênero feminino) coisas, lugares, sentimentos,
ideias, etc.)
it = ele/ela (exceto pessoas)
Remember: the subject pronouns replace both proper and common nouns
when they are the subject of the sentence. Let’s see how it works with the verb
to be. First, in the affirmative form:
I am / I’m It is / It’s
Eu sou/estou Ele/Ela é/está
As you can see, all conjugations accept a contracted form of the subject
pronouns with the verb to be.
In the negative form, as we have already seen, we place not after the verb to be.
And we can also use it in the contracted form. Check this out:
You are not / You’re not / You aren’t We are not / We’re not / We aren’t
Tu não és/estás; Você não é/está Nós não somos/estamos
He is not / He’s not / He isn’t You are not / You’re not / You aren’t
Ele não é/está Vós não sois/estais; Vocês não são/estão
She is not / She’s not / She isn’t They are not / They’re not / They aren’t
Ela não é/está Eles/Elas não são/estão
In this case, there are two possible contractions: one between the subject and
the verb to be, and the other one between the verb to be and the particle
not. Notice that the first person singular is an exception: I’m not is the only
contraction that is considered grammatically correct.
Now look at what happens in the interrogative form:
Am I…? Is it...?
Eu sou/estou...? Ele/Ela é/está...?
As you can see, we just invert the verb to be and the subject to form the interrogative form. Keep in mind that
these conjugations are references to use the verb to be in the present with a subject pronoun. Sometimes, the
subject is not a pronoun, but a noun. In this case, we will think of which subject pronoun is equivalent to that
noun to know the correct conjugation.
Let’s see this with some sentences. Check out this example:
SUBJE CT PRONOUNS + TO BE
It is upstairs.
Ele é no andar de cima.
The subject is the fitting room. That is a place in the singular and the
corresponding subject pronoun is it. The conjugation of the verb to be for this
person is is, so: The fitting room is.
Let’s see another one:
SUBJE CT PRONOUNS + TO BE
The subject is the home appliances, in the plural. That’s why we use the subject
pronoun they to replace it. The corresponding conjugation is are. Thus: The
home appliances are.
In these examples, we used the verb to be to talk about location. But if you don’t
have that information, you can just ask a question using where. To do that, use
the interrogative form. It will be like this:
Notice that the answer is the location: upstairs. The complete answer may have
the verb and the subject pronoun: It’s upstairs.
Let’s see one more example:
Again, to ask the question, we start with where, then add the verb and the subject. The answer
will show the location: on aisle number 10.
And since home appliances is in the plural, to use a subject pronoun and the verb, the complete
answer would be: They are on aisle number 10.
In these examples, the verb to be is the main verb, the verb that has the main idea we want to
convey. But there are some situations in which the verb to be works as an auxiliary verb. It will be
in the sentence just to help build the verb form, without carrying the main idea of the sentence.
That is the case of the present continuous, for example. This verb form is used to express an
action in progress at the moment of speaking. Since it is an action, the meaning of the sentence
is carried by other verbs, and the verb to be will only be an auxiliary verb.
Let’s take a look at an example:
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
In this sentence, the main verb is to look for. Notice that the verb has a suffix, -ING, so it
becomes looking. The suffix -ING conveys the idea of continuity to the verb. And the verb
to be just helps compose this verb form. Since it is an action in progress at the moment of
speaking, the verb to be is conjugated in the present: I am.
The basic structure of the present continuous is quite simple. Have a look:
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Affirmative Form
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Affirmative Form
The customer is the subject, immediately followed by the verb to be conjugated in the
third person singular, is; then we have the main verb browse in the -ING form, and the
complement, around the store.
Now, look at the negative form:
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Negative Form
So, we just add not after the verb To Be. For example:
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Negative Form
Notice that the contracted form will be quite common in spoken English.
Finally, take a look at the interrogative form:
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Interrogative Form
In the interrogative, we just invert the position of the verb to be and the subject. For example:
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Interrogative Form
In this chapter, we talked about the simple present of the verb to be, the
present continuous, the subject pronouns, and the question word where.
If you want to learn more about these topics, take a look at the Grammar
Guide section at the end of your book.
GRAMMAR GUIDE
Part 5.
Grammar Activities
A. Write ( 1 ) if the verb to be is the main verb of the sentence, and ( 2 ) if it’s an auxiliary verb.
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words according to the translation.
c. Where f. are c. 2 f. 2
b. They e. is not (isn’t) browsing b. 1 e. 1
a. is d. I am (I’m) looking a. 1 d. 1
Activity B – Answers Activity A – Answers
Notes
Part 1.
Video Script In this chapter, you are going to learn how to exchange or return a product and
what to say in such situations. Besides that, you will also see some language
items to help you improve your language skills.
Now look at the script of: Return policy
RE TURN POLICY
[Amy and Lucas are at a store, close to the customer service area]
Lucas:
So, as we said before, the U.S. really is a shopper’s paradise! So, you
might as well just go crazy!
Amy:
Well...until you get home, get a grip on yourself and start to regret how
much you bought! There’s actually an American term for this: it’s called
“buyer’s remorse!”
Lucas:
Or maybe you go home, and you realize that what you bought isn’t
working properly. Or maybe the clothes that you got aren’t fitting as well
as you thought they would. Whatever your reason, return policies in the
U.S. are actually pretty simple. Generally, there’s a 30-day return policy,
but, ultimately, it’s at the store’s discretion.
Amy:
So, most American retailers do have pretty lenient return policies, and
they’re often described on the bottom of your receipt, or the back of
you receipt. They’re so focused on customer service, and making the
customers happy, that they’re going to be pretty accommodating about
your needs.
Lucas:
Yeah, in fact, most international visitors are really surprised with how
easy it is to return goods
in the United States. I mean, most stores are not even going to ask you
any questions, except for: “Why are you returning this product?”
Amy:
Well, they’re not asking you to determine whether or not they’ll take it
back; they’re just asking because they want to know if it’s ready to be
put back on the shelf or if there’s something wrong with it.
Lucas:
Now, here is a piece of advice, and it’s very important: keep your receipt!
Now, just because you don’t have your receipt, it doesn’t necessarily
mean that the store isn’t going to accept your return.
Amy:
Yes, that’s right! They’ll probably still process the return, but they might
give you store credit, say, instead of cashback.
Lucas:
Right; and because it’s relatively easy to do returns in the United States,
some people have been, well...taking advantage of the system, or
abusing the system. And by “abusing the system” what I mean is, for
example: let’s say somebody has a wedding to go to on Sunday; well,
they buy something, wear it to that wedding on Sunday, and then, on
Monday, they return it to the store to get a refund.
Amy:
Well, that’s why some stores have had to implement some restrictions.
So, they want to make sure that you’re returning the item because you
regret the purchase or something’s not working properly with it.
Amy:
So, we’re here with Loryann, who is a customer service rep here at the
store, and we’re going to talk to her about the store return policy.
Lucas:
Yes, so what’s the general return policy that you have here?
Loryann:
The general return policy is: anything without a receipt for 30 days you
can get store credit.
Lucas:
Got it!
Loryann:
And also, with the return, if they return something and don’t have the
receipt, we can look it up under their credit card. They swipe their credit
card and we can look it up and it’ll come up on the screen when they
purchased it, here at this store, or at all.
Lucas:
Oh, wow!
Amy:
Does it have to be returned at the same location?
Loryann:
No, absolutely not.
Lucas:
Is there a difference when it’s from a different department? For instance:
electronics.
Loryann:
Electronics, some of the items, you have 15 days. TVs and computers,
you have 90 days, but anything else is 15 days!
Lucas:
Something from the electronics department that’s been opened, does
that change the return policy?
Loryann:
Yes, it does. Without a receipt, you won’t be able to exchange it. If it’s
opened and you have a receipt, you can exchange it for the same item!
Lucas:
Great! So, there are a lot of differences in terms of departments. It’s
important to really know what the different policies are in terms of
returns and exchanges, and to always, always, always keep your receipt.
Alright, thank you!
Loryann
You’re welcome!
POLÍTICA DE DE VOLUÇÃO
Amy:
Bem... até você voltar pra casa, pensar melhor, e começar a se
arrepender do tanto que comprou. Temos até um termo nos EUA para
isso: chama-se “remorso do comprador”!
Lucas:
Ou talvez você chegou em casa e notou que algo não está funcionando
direito, ou que as roupas que você comprou não serviram tão bem
quanto você achava. Qualquer que seja o seu motivo, as políticas de
devolução nos EUA são bem simples. Geralmente, a política é que a
devolução pode ser feita em até 30 dias, mas, no final das contas, isso
fica a critério da loja.
Amy:
A maioria das lojas americanas tem políticas de devolução bem
permissíveis, e elas geralmente são descritas na parte inferior do seu
cupom fiscal, ou na parte de trás dele. Elas são tão centradas em
deixar seus clientes felizes que vão tentar resolver seus problemas e
necessidades.
Lucas:
Sim, na verdade a maioria dos turistas internacionais ficam surpresos
com a facilidade de se fazer uma devolução nos Estados Unidos. A
maioria das lojas nem vai fazer muitas perguntas, exceto, talvez, para
saber o motivo da devolução.
Amy:
Eles não vão perguntar isso para decidir se vão aceitar ou não a
devolução, mas somente para saber se o produto pode ser colocado
novamente à venda na prateleira ou se há algo de errado com ele.
Lucas:
Aqui vai um conselho muito importante: guarde sua nota fiscal! Mas, se
você não a tiver mais, isso não quer dizer necessariamente que a loja
não vai aceitar a devolução.
Amy:
Isso mesmo! Eles provavelmente ainda vão processar a devolução, mas
você talvez acabe ficando somente com crédito na loja, e não com seu
dinheiro de volta.
Lucas:
Exato; e como é relativamente fácil fazer devoluções nos Estados
Unidos, algumas pessoas têm se aproveitado ou abusado do sistema. O
que quero dizer com isso é, por exemplo: se alguém tem um casamento
para ir no domingo, compra algo para usar no domingo em questão,
para, então, na segunda, devolver o artigo na loja e pegar o reembolso.
Amy:
É por isso que algumas lojas implementaram algumas restrições. Elas
querem ter certeza de que você está devolvendo o artigo por ter se
arrependido da compra ou por haver algo de “errado” com ele.
Lucas:
Qual é a política geral para devoluções que vocês têm aqui?
Loryann:
A política geral é aceitar devoluções em até 30 dias, com o cupom fiscal.
Qualquer coisa após isso, e sem o recibo, a pessoa ganha crédito na loja.
Lucas:
Entendi!
Loryann:
E com a devolução, se alguém trouxer algo sem o recibo, podemos
procurar por ele pelo seu cartão de crédito. Eles passam o cartão, e
podemos procurar e achar quando a compra foi feita, se foi feita na loja,
ou se ela sequer foi feita.
Lucas:
Caramba!
Amy:
A devolução precisa ser feita na mesma loja?
Loryann:
Não, de forma alguma.
Lucas:
Existe alguma diferença se a compra for de outro departamento... Por
exemplo: eletrônicos?
Loryann:
Para alguns artigos eletrônicos, o prazo é de 15 dias. Para TVs e
computadores, o prazo é de 90 dias, mas, para qualquer outro artigo,
são 15 dias!
Lucas:
Caso algum eletrônico tenha sido aberto, isso pode interferir na sua
devolução?
Loryann:
Sim, pode! Sem o cupom fiscal, não será possível fazer a troca. Caso
esteja aberto e você tenha a nota, você pode trocá-lo pelo mesmo
artigo.
Lucas:
Ótimo! Há muitas diferenças entre os departamentos; logo, é importante
que você conheça as diferentes políticas para trocas e devoluções, e
sempre, sempre, sempre guarde o cupom fiscal! OK, obrigado!
Loryann:
De nada!
Part 2.
Vocabulary Return and refund policies in the U.S. are usually thought and adjusted to make
the client happy. Let’s see some common policies:
But those are possibilities, not rules. Each store has its own policy, and they are
usually found at the bottom or on the back of the receipt or on the store website.
If you are not happy with a product, look for a customer service representative
at the store and say:
They want to know if the product needs repairing or if it can go straight back to
the shelf. So here is what you can answer:
Note that all the answers start with because. That is how we
answer a question with why.
If you just want to get another product, then you need to use the
verb to exchange. Check it out:
And they will still probably want to know your reasons for that by asking:
Then you will have to explain the problem. You can do that by saying:
For faulty products, check if they have warranty. In this document, you can find
the coverage policies and warranty extension.
But, warranty or not, the store needs to confirm you have recently bought the
product there. So, they may ask:
If you don’t have the receipt, they will probably ask you:
They do so because they can swipe your credit card and find your
purchase in the system, and then confirm the information. But if
you used a different payment method, not having the receipt cuts
down your options:
Part 3.
Vocabulary
A. Number the columns according to the translation of the words.
Activities
( 3 ) Cashback ( ) Compra
(4)S
tore credit ( )D
evolver um produto
( 5 ) Purchase ( ) Expectativas
( 6 ) Receipt ( ) Produto
( 7 ) Warranty ( ) Arrepender-se
( 10 ) Product ( ) Garantia
( 12 ) T
o regret ( )S
ervir
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word according to the translation.
a) are you returning it? d) You can the product for the
Por que você está devolvendo? same item.
Você pode trocar o produto por outro igual.
b) Because I the purchase.
Porque eu estou arrependido(a) da compra. e) You get a refund or .
Você recebe um reembolso ou o dinheiro de
volta.
c) It’s not properly.
Não está funcionando direito.
f) Always keep the .
Sempre guarde a nota fiscal.
c. working
f. receipt b. regret 12 / 4 / 1 / 7 / 6 / 9
e. cashback a. Why 3 / 11 / 5 / 2 / 8 / 10 /
d. exchange Activity B – Answers Activity A – Answers
Part 4.
Grammar
In this chapter, we will talk about the simple present of other verbs, adverbs of
frequency, and the question words how, when, and why.
Affirmative Form
This is the basic structure used for the simple present. It is the verb form we use to
talk about facts, routine, and habits.
Even though the basic structure of the sentence remains the same, the verb
conjugation will change a bit.
As we have seen, the conjugation of the verb to be is the most irregular one. However,
when we conjugate other verbs in the simple present, there will be differences only for
the third person singular.
TO VARY
Variar
I vary We vary
You vary You vary
He/She/It varies They vary
Note that the conjugation doesn’t change with the pronouns I, you, we, and they.
But the verb conjugation for the third person singular (the pronouns he, she, and
it) will be varies, changing the -Y for the suffix -IES.
TO GE T
Receber; Pegar
I get We get
You get You get
He/She/It gets They get
Once again, the conjugation only changes in the third person singular. In this
case, we only add -s to the verb, so it becomes gets.
SIMPLE PRESENT
Affirmative Form
Here, the subject is return policies, which is third person plural, equivalent to
the pronoun they. The main verb is vary. When we conjugate it, there are no
changes: the verb is in its base form.
SIMPLE PRESENT
Affirmative Form
Now, the subject is customer. If we replace it with a subject pronoun, we will use he or she. Then
the subject is equivalent to the third person singular. So, we add -s to the main verb: gets.
Let’s see what happens in the negative form now. Take a look at the general structure:
SIMPLE PRESENT
Negative Form
Notice that with all the verbs in the simple present, except for the verb to be, we will use the
auxiliary verb do.
It is important to realize that the auxiliary verb do does not add any meaning to the sentence,
since it doesn’t actually have any meaning. It is just a tool to make the negative form.
Let’s turn the examples in the affirmative form to negative sentences to observe the difference:
SIMPLE PRESENT
Negative Form
To make the sentence negative, we use the auxiliary verb do + not before the
main verb, which is kept in its base form. We can also use the contracted form
don’t.
Now, pay close attention to this example in the third person singular:
SIMPLE PRESENT
Negative Form
In this case, the auxiliary verb will be conjugated, so it becomes does + not or, in
its contracted form, doesn’t. The main verb will remain in the base form. That is,
there is no suffix added to the verb here.
To make the interrogative form of the simple present, the auxiliary verb, not the
main verb, goes before the subject. Let’s see the general structure
SIMPLE PRESENT
Interrogative Form
SIMPLE PRESENT
Interrogative Form
So, we place the auxiliary verb in the beginning; then, we add the subject and
the main verb.
When the subject is he, she, or it, we will follow the same logic by using the
auxiliary verb does and the main verb in the base form. For example:
SIMPLE PRESENT
Interrogative Form
Since the simple present is used to refer to habits and routines, adverbs of frequency are
commonly used with this verb form.
Often
Sometimes Usually
Frequentemente / Com
Às vezes Geralmente
frequência / Muitas vezes
Note that this sentence is in the simple present, and that the position of the
adverb of frequency usually is right before the main verb accept. That happens
with every other verb except the verb to be. Take a look:
This sentence is in the imperative form, so the subject is omitted. In this case,
the position of the adverb of frequency is before the main verb.
Pay attention to the structure: we start with How often, then we use the
interrogative form of the sentence. In this example, we are using the
interrogative form of the simple present: do you go shopping.
Now, it is important not to confuse how often with when. How often is a
question word used to ask about how frequently something happens, and
when is used to ask a question about the specific moment in which something
happens. Check this out:
HOW OF TEN
Frequency
Here we are referring to the frequency with which you go to the mall, so the
possible answers will also indicate the frequency.
WHEN
Specific moment
Now the question refers to the specific moment when something will happen;
that’s why the possible answers will indicate a date.
Why is another important question word. It is used to ask about the reason
for something to happen. And the answer to a question with why starts with
because. Let’s see some examples:
Here, they want to know the reason behind your decision to return the product.
And, to ask this question, we’ll start with why and add the interrogative form. In
this case, the interrogative form of the present continuous. Notice that we use
why in the question and because in the answer.
Now, let’s see an example in the simple present:
Once again, we are using Why + the interrogative form to ask the
question. As for the answer, we start it with Because.
Now you know how to use the simple present, talk about frequency,
and ask questions using the question words how often, when, and
why. For more details about these topics, take a look at the Grammar
Guide section at the end of your book.
GRAMMAR GUIDE
Part 5.
Grammar
A. Choose the correct option to complete the sentence according to the translation.
Activities
( ) usually
( ) never
( ) When
( ) How often
( ) often
( ) sometimes
( ) When
( ) How often
( ) Never
( ) Always
f. do you wish / do
e.do you go
( ) Because
you want
( ) Why
Activity B – Answers
b. gets/receives
b) The customer a refund within 10 days.
O cliente recebe um reembolso dentro de 10 dias.
a. vary
c) The customer a refund within 10 days.
O cliente não recebe um reembolso dentro de 10 dias.
d. How often
e. Always
Activity A – Answers
f. Why
d) American stores usually returns and exchanges.
Lojas americanas geralmente aceitam devoluções e trocas.
a. usually
b. When
c. often
e) How often to the mall?
Com qual frequência você vai ao shopping center?
Notes
Part 1.
Video Script In the United States, you can buy clothes at specialty stores, but also at
supermarkets, convenience stores, and even at drugstores. In this chapter, we will
show you some vocabulary that is very useful in this situation. You will also learn
some language items that will help you improve your English skills.
Now look at the script of: Shopping for clothes.
[At a store]
Amy:
So, you want to go shopping for clothes. In the U.S. there are so many
options and so many different price points that you can shop at! You can
find clothes everywhere, from gas stations to big chain stores like this
one! Stores like this will sell groceries, clothing, even furniture, and pet
supplies, or car parts! You won’t find designer clothes here, but you will
find quality T-shirts, pants, scarves, and swimsuits for as low as US$5!
Amy:
So, if you are here to shop, but you’re looking for designer items at
a low, low price, you’ll have to look up outlet malls, which are one of
my favorite places in the world! Outlet malls are a collection of outlet
stores that sell designer and name-brand items at a discount, but the
only downside is they are usually about a 50-minute drive from any
metropolitan center. So, depending on what cities you’re traveling to,
you can start researching what outlet malls are around, how to get
there, and often times they have email lists that you can sign up for, and
they will send you coupons for up to 50% off your final purchase price.
That’s 50% off on already discounted prices! What can beat that?
Lucas:
Now, if real cheap is what you’re looking for, then there’s still some other
options for you! And I mean cheap! Cheaper than the outlet stores! In
some stores, they specialize in selling collection leftovers. And the good
news is that these stores are located all over town, even in tourist spots!
So, I recommend that you go to these stores! And take your time looking
through them, because, at first glance, you know, you might notice that
they might not have as big of a selection, or they might be a little bit
messy, but trust me! Take your time, look through that stuff, because I
guarantee that you’re going to find something that’s exactly what you’re
looking for!
Angela:
Well, there’s the whole Rodeo Drive area, where it’s much high-end
stuff. And then there are consignment stores and thrift stores, which are
clothes that are being resold. And then there’s in the middle, which is
right in middle of both of those, which is brand-new clothes that aren’t
previously worn, but they’re not high-end brands.
Amy:
Can you explain what consignment stores are, just in case our viewers
don’t know them?
Angela:
Totally! A consignment store is a store that is reselling clothes that
were previously worn, like a used bookstore. But they usually shouldn’t
be dirty. They’re usually clean, good clothes; sometimes even brand
clothing is sold at these consignment stores, but probably for a third of
the price you would get for them on the real rack.
Amy:
There are other options too. Like, outlets, right?
Angela:
Yes, there are outlets that are brands that are doing half-sale options,
and those are all over! Probably even more than the high-end stores are
the outlets.
Amy:
If you had one word of advice about shopping for clothes in the U.S. for
our viewers, what would you say?
Angela:
It would be never buying at the retail price! You can always find better!
Amy:
Same! Yes, thank you!
Angela:
You’re welcome!
COMPRANDO ROUPAS
Amy:
Mas se você está aqui para fazer compras e está procurando por artigos
de grife com preços muito, muito baixos, você terá que encontrar um
outlet, que é um dos meus lugares preferidos no mundo! Shoppings
de outlets são um conjunto de lojas de outlet que vendem artigos de
grifes e marcas famosas com descontos. O único ponto negativo é
que eles geralmente ficam a 50 minutos de carro de qualquer centro
metropolitano. Logo, dependendo da cidade em que você esteja, você
pode pesquisar quais outlets se encontram nas redondezas, como
chegar lá, e muitas vezes eles têm listas de e-mail em que você pode se
cadastrar para receber cupons de até 50% de desconto no preço final!
São 50% de desconto em preços nos quais já havia um desconto! O que
pode ser melhor do que isso?
Lucas:
Agora, se é algo realmente barato o que você procura, então ainda
temos outras opções para você! E estou falando de barato mesmo! Mais
barato do que os outlets! Algumas lojas são especializadas em vender
as sobras de coleções. E a notícia boa é que essas lojas são encontradas
por toda cidade, inclusive em pontos turísticos. Por isso eu recomendo
que você vá a elas! Invista um tempo dando uma olhada nelas, porque,
à primeira vista, você pode achar que elas não têm uma coleção tão
grande assim, ou que elas sejam um pouco bagunçadas, mas confiem
em mim! Vá com paciência, dê uma olhada, porque eu posso garantir
que você vai achar algo que é exatamente o que você pode estar
procurando!
Angela:
Aqui na região de Rodeo Drive temos coisas mais caras, também temos
lojas de consignação e brechós, que trabalham com roupas usadas.
E temos o meio-termo entre essas opções, que são roupas novas em
folha, que nunca foram usadas, mas que não são de marca.
Amy:
Você poderia explicar o que são lojas de consignação?
Angela:
Claro! Uma loja de consignação é uma loja que revende roupas que
já tenham sido usadas, tal qual um sebo. Mas elas geralmente estão
limpas! Geralmente são roupas boas e limpas. Às vezes, roupas de
marca podem ser vendidas nessas lojas, mas por um terço do preço que
você pagaria por elas nas araras originais.
Amy:
Temos outras opções também, como outlets, por exemplo?
Angela:
Sim, nos outlets há marcas que fazem diferentes promoções, e você vai
achá-las por toda a parte! Você provavelmente terá mais opções nos
outlets do que nas lojas de grife.
Amy:
Se você pudesse dar um conselho sobre compra de roupas nos Estados
Unidos para quem está nos assistindo, qual seria?
Angela:
Nunca pague o preço cheio! Você sempre pode achar um preço melhor!
Amy:
Exato! Obrigada!
Angela:
De nada!
Part 2.
Vocabulary The shopping mall, or more commonly just mall, is the name of the place we can go to buy
something. If you want to say that you are going there, you say:
The word shopping is a verb, an action that you do, it’s not a
place. So you cannot say:
WOMEN’S WARDROBE
MEN’S WARDROBE
UNDERWEAR
Excuse me. I’m looking for skirts. Excuse me. Do you have dresses?
Com licença. Eu estou procurando por saias. Com licença. Vocês têm vestidos?
Notice that both examples show situations in which you approach the salesperson, so it is
important to start with Excuse me.
Then, to ask for something, all you have to do is change the item for
the one you are looking for. For example:
The salesperson will probably ask questions about your style and
preferences to find pieces you will like. So, they may ask:
I prefer denim/silk/cotton.
Eu prefiro jeans/seda/algodão.
I prefer it solid/checkered/striped.
Eu prefiro lisa/xadrez/listrada.
Then they will probably get some pieces they think you will like.
Take a look at what they may say:
Part 3.
Vocabulary
A. Number the columns according to the translation of the words.
Activities
(4)W
omen’s wardrobe ( ) Calças
( 5 ) Blouse ( ) Sutiã
( 6 ) Pants ( ) Calcinha
( 7 ) Suit ( ) Camiseta
( 9 ) Underwear ( ) Camisola
( 10 ) Panties ( ) Vestido
( 12 ) P
ajamas ( )T
erno
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word according to the translation.
Part 4.
Grammar
In this chapter, we are going to talk about the present continuous, the be going to structure, the
question word what, the modal verb should, and the contraction of verbs.
We already know that the present continuous is used to talk about situations in progress at the
present moment. But we can also use this verb form to talk about the future, be it in the form of
arrangements or plans. We can say, for example:
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Future
In this sentence, there is the adverb of time next month showing that the situation
is still going to happen. In this context, this verb form does not express continuity,
but it refers to a planned future action.
There is a third use for the present continuous that is to refer to an action that is
going to happen really soon. For instance:
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Future
It is quite clear that you will be leaving for the mall in a few minutes. There is no
adverb of time to make it absolutely clear, but we can understand from the context
that we are talking about a future action.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Affirmative Form
Subject + Auxiliary Verb (To Be) + Main Verb (In The -Ing Form) + Complement
Sujeito + Verbo Auxiliar To Be + Verbo Principal na forma -ING + Complemento
Negative Form
Subject + Auxiliary Verb (To Be) + Not + Main Verb (In The -Ing Form) + Complement
Sujeito + Verbo Auxiliar To Be + Not + Verbo Principal na forma -ING + Complemento
Interrogative Form
Auxiliary Verb (To Be) + Subject + Main Verb (In The -Ing Form) + Complement
Verbo Auxiliar To Be + Sujeito + Verbo Principal na forma -ING + Complemento
Bear in mind that the verb to be in the present continuous works as an auxiliary
verb, and that it must be conjugated in the present. The suffix -ING will be
added to the main verb, not to the verb to be.
There is another structure we can use to talk about actions in the future. It is
sometimes confused with the present continuous—the structure be going to.
The confusion happens because the verb to go in this structure is used in the
-ING form, and it looks like the present continuous. But this combination is just
an auxiliary that follows the main verb. Let’s see some examples and compare:
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
The subject here is I. The verb to be is am, even though it is contracted with the
subject. And the main verb is go in the -ING form. So, this sentence is in the
present continuous.
Now, look at this one:
BE GOING TO
The main action is buy. The expression be going to, conjugated as am going to
according to the subject I, shows that the action is future. The main verb of this
sentence is buy, which is in the base form.
We can also use be going to with go as the main verb. It may sound weird to
use the same verb twice in a sentence, but it is grammatically correct.
Check it out:
BE GOING TO
We used be going to and the main verb go. And there is another way to use it,
take a look:
BE GOING TO
BE GOING TO
Affirmative Form
Negative Form
Interrogative Form
Besides the differences in structure between the present continuous and be going
to, there is also a difference concerning the ideas they convey.
Be going to with the verb to be in the present can only be used to refer to the future.
That is a difference in comparison to the present continuous, because this verb
form is also used to talk about actions in progress in the present. Moreover, be going
to means that this future situation is an arrangement, something planned, not a
sudden decision. Check it out:
BE GOING TO
Plan
Be going to can also convey the idea of a prediction based on evidence. We use it to talk about something
we believe will happen because we see evidence of it. Imagine you’ve arranged to meet a friend to go
shopping together, but the weather is getting cloudy. So, you can ask your friend:
BE GOING TO
Prediction based on evidence
Do you still wanna go shopping today? I think it’s gonna rain cats and dogs. Look at the sky
Você ainda quer ir ao shopping hoje? Acho que vai chover canivete. Olha o céu.
So, based on what we can see, the cloudy sky, we can predict it is going to rain really soon.
The cloudy sky is the evidence. And once again we can see the contraction gonna in the
example.
Note that we used wanna, which is a very common contraction in English. Its full form is want
+ to. It expresses a desire to do something.
Here is another situation in which you may hear be going to being used to make a prediction:
BE GOING TO
Prediction based on evidence
I see you’re wearing a skirt. You’re gonna love our new skirt collection!
Vejo que você está usando uma saia. Você vai amar nossa nova coleção de saias!
Here, the salesperson sees you in a skirt and predicts that you are going to love their new skirt
collection. It is a prediction based on evidence.
They can also ask what you are planning to buy. Suppose you have tried on many skirts. The
salesperson can say:
BE GOING TO
Plan
All the skirts you tried on were perfect on you. Are you gonna take them all?
Todas as saias que você experimentou ficaram perfeitas. Você vai levar todas?
In this case, be going to conveys the idea of a plan, something the person has
been thinking about doing.
As you can see, be going to can be easily heard in the context of shopping. And
the expression what kind of is quite common in this context as well. We use it to
ask the type of something.
For example, suppose you go to a store to buy a dress. There are a million dresses
there, so it is natural to hear this question from the salesperson. Take a look:
WHAT KIND OF
In this sentence, the salesperson wants to know the type of dress you
are looking for.
When we ask a question using what kind of, we place the object we
are referring to right after it. In this case, dress: What kind of dress.
Then we add the interrogative form of the verb: are you looking for.
Another question people can ask you at a store is:
WHAT KIND OF
Once again, we can see what kind of followed by the object we are referring to: fabric. And the
answer to this question would be a type of fabric: cotton, silk, denim, and so on.
If you are at a boutique, it is quite probable that the salesperson will try and give suggestions
on what you should take. The most common way to do it is by using the modal verb should.
Depending on the context, should may convey an idea of suggestion or recommendation. And
its structure follows the basic rules of the modal verbs, which are the following:
SHOULD
Affirmative Form
For example:
SHOULD
Sugestion/Recommendation
In the affirmative form, we have the subject You, then should, and the main verb
try. That is a suggestion to try on the skirt.
Now, look at the structure in the negative form:
SHOULD
Negative Form
For example:
SHOULD
Negative Form
The difference is that we place not right after should. As for the context, now
someone is suggesting to someone else that they should not do something.
Finally, the structure for the interrogative form:
SHOULD
Interrogative Form
For example:
SHOULD
Request for a suggestion
SHOULD
Request for a suggestion
In this example, by using the question word what + interrogative form of should,
we indicate that we don’t know what to do at all, so we ask for a suggestion.
GRAMMAR GUIDE
Part 5.
Grammar
A. Choose the option that best explains the idea conveyed by the sentences.
Activities
a) I’m traveling to the United States next month d) Should I try this flowered silk skirt?
to do some shopping. Eu deveria experimentar essa saia florida de
Eu estou viajando para os Estados Unidos mês seda?
que vem para fazer umas compras.
( 1 ) giving suggestion
( 1 ) arrangement ( 2 ) asking for suggestion
( 2 ) action in progress
e) I see you’re wearing a skirt. You’re gonna love
b) I’m going to buy some clothes at the mall. our new skirt collection!
Eu estou indo comprar umas roupas no Vejo que você está usando uma saia. Você vai
shopping. amar nossa nova coleção de saias!
( 1 ) arrangement
( 2 ) prediction
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words according to the translation.
b) to the mall.
Eu estou indo ao shopping.
Activity B – Answers
Que tipo de tecido você prefere?
Activity A – Answers
d. 2
b. 1
a. 1
e. 1
c. 2
Notes
Part 1.
Video Script In this chapter, you are going to learn about sizes and measurements used in the
U.S., which are quite different from the ones used in other countries. You will also
learn some language items to help you interact with the salesperson concerning
this matter.
Now look at the script of Sizes and measurements.
[At a store]
Lucas:
So, the measurement system in the U.S. is different than what it is in
other countries, because other countries use the metric system, but here
in the U.S., we don’t.
Amy:
For example, we measure height in feet. So, each foot measures to
about 30 centimeters. For example, if you were 1.9 meters tall, we
would say you were 6 foot 2.
Lucas:
And the same thing goes for weight. In the U.S. we measure weight in
pounds. So, if you are about 176 pounds, like me, that would mean that
you’re about 80 kilograms.
Amy:
American measurements are important to keep in mind if you’re
shopping for clothes, especially if they’re a gift for someone else!
Lucas:
And the measurement that we use for clothes is also pretty unique.
So, for example, you might notice that, on a tag, there are two different
numbers on the label. This one says 31-32.!
Amy:
The first number is referring to waist size, and the second number is
referring to the inseam.
[Interviewing a salesperson]
Amy:
Hey, guys! I’m here with Georgy, who works at one of the most famous
stores in America! He’s a sales associate, and we’re going to talk to him
about sizing today! So, when you have international visitors, what do
you do for them to make sure they’re getting the right size?
Georgy:
Well, the first thing that we do is: we try to get their size, so we show
them a chart of small, medium, large, or extra-large. And that chart has
the matrix of everything, from sizing from different countries as well. So,
we try to get their size so whenever they’re looking at a shirt that they
like, or button-up shirt or something, we try to give them two sizes, just
to see which one is fitting and which one works best for them.
Amy:
Two sizes to try on, you mean?
Georgy:
Correct.
Amy:
So, I know that denim sizing, too, we usually have it go by waist size
and inseam, so they are two measurements. Can you tell me more about
that? What’s the order?
Georgy:
For guys here in the U.S., we try to go for the waist and then the inseam
as well. The inseam starting close to the groin, all the way down to the
ankle. So, I am a 32 by 30. And it’s awesome, because I don’t have to
cut my jeans or anything like that! In other countries, you always go by
the waist, and 42 is the inseam. So, the inseam is always going to be 42
for other countries, because the individual buys the jeans and after they
buy the jeans, they’ll cut it themselves and tailor it.
Amy:
So, if I came to you and I knew my measurements…I know mine in
inches, not centimeters, like the rest of the world. I could ask you to look
at the chart to see what size I’d be for skirts, versus sweatpants, versus
slacks, versus denim, right?
Georgy:
Correct! A good sales associate already knows everything as soon as
he sees you, and he’s already evaluating, “that person is a medium,” or
“that person’s skirt is a number 2.” So, you would definitely come to us,
and we could also show you the chart that we have, and the chart would
actually assist you in picking out what dress, or what shirt you need.
Amy:
Cool! And thank you so much! This has been very informative!
Georgy:
Thank you so much!
TAMANHOS E MEDIDAS
Amy:
Por exemplo, medimos a altura em pés. Cada pé mede cerca de 30
centímetros. Ou seja, se você mede 1,9 metros, nós diríamos que você
tem 6’2’’ pés.
Lucas:
O mesmo vale para o peso. Nos EUA, usamos libras. Logo, se você
pesar 176 libras como eu, isso significaria que você pesa perto de 80
quilos.
Amy:
Unidades americanas são importantes de serem lembradas quando
você compra roupas, especialmente quando você está comprando um
presente para alguém!
Lucas:
E as medidas que usamos para roupas também são peculiares! Por
exemplo, você pode notar em uma etiqueta que temos dois tamanhos
diferentes. Esta aqui diz que o tamanho é 31-32.
Amy:
O primeiro número está se referindo ao tamanho da cintura, e o segundo
ao tamanho da perna.
[Entrevistando um vendedor]
Amy:
Oi pessoal! Estou aqui com o Georgy, que trabalha em uma das lojas
mais famosas dos EUA! Ele é um assistente de vendas, e vamos
conversar sobre tamanhos de roupa! Quando você encontra turistas
internacionais, o que você faz para garantir que eles estejam comprando
o tamanho correto?
Georgy:
Bem, a primeira coisa a se fazer é saber que tamanho eles usam. Nós
mostramos uma tabela com os tamanhos P, M, G e GG. Essa tabela
tem praticamente a matriz de tudo, incluindo as medidas usadas em
outros países. Logo, tentamos descobrir o tamanho usado, se eles estão
olhando para uma camiseta que gostaram, uma camisa, ou algo do tipo,
só lhes damos dois tamanhos para ver qual deles veste melhor.
Amy:
Dois tamanhos para eles provarem?
Georgy:
Correto.
Amy:
Eu sei que para calças jeans nós normalmente usamos o tamanho da
cintura e o da perna; logo, são duas medidas. Você pode me falar mais
sobre isso? Qual é a ordem a seguir?
Georgy:
Para pessoas aqui dos Estados Unidos, sempre começamos pela cintura
e depois pelo comprimento da perna. Essa medida começa perto da
virilha e vai até o calcanhar. Por exemplo, eu uso tamanho 32 por 30. E
é muito bom, porque não tenho que fazer a bainha da minha calça! Em
outros países, você sempre usa a medida da cintura, e o comprimento
da perna é 42. Logo, o comprimento da perna sempre será esse, porque
o cliente compra a calça para depois fazer a bainha dela.
Amy:
Então, se eu viesse falar com você e soubesse minhas medidas, e eu
sei as minhas em polegadas, e não em centímetros como no resto
do mundo, eu poderia pedir para olhar a sua tabela para saber meu
tamanho de saia, de calça de moletom, calças sociais e jeans, correto?
Georgy:
Correto! Toda pessoa que trabalha bem com vendas já sabe disso, e
assim que ela te vê, já sabe que seu tamanho é M, ou que tal pessoa usa
saia tamanho 2. Então, você viria falar com a gente, nós mostraríamos
nossa tabela, e ela iria te ajudar a escolher qual vestido ou camisa de
que você precisa.
Amy:
Legal! Muito obrigada! Foi muito informativo!
Georgy:
Muito obrigado!
Part 2.
Vocabulary The whole measurement system is different in the U.S., for they use the United
States customary units. Most countries use the metric system. Compare:
UNITS OF MEASUREMENT
Weight Length
Peso Comprimento
1 pound
˜ 0,5 kilos 1 foot
˜ 30 cm
1 ounce 28 grams 1 inch 2.5 cm
˜ ˜
The salespeople are generally trained to know the customers’ sizes only by looking
at them. If you need any help finding the right size, you can say, for example:
Excuse me. Could you help me find the right size of pants?
Com licença. Você poderia me ajudar a achar o tamanho certo de calças?
Since we are talking about pants, we used size of pants. But if you want another piece of
clothing, just change pants for the item you want, such as dress or shirt. Let’s see:
Excuse me. Could you help me find the right size of dress?
Com licença. Você poderia me ajudar a achar o tamanho certo de vestido?
Excuse me. Could you help me find the right size of shirt?
Com licença. Você poderia me ajudar a achar o tamanho certo de camisa?
As a response, the salesperson may ask you for whom that item is:
If it is for yourself, you can say: If it is for someone else, you say:
And then you may describe the person or say the size they wear back home.
Some brands use sizes that can be recognized internationally. Here they are:
SIZES
Small (S)
Pequeno (P)
Medium (M)
Médio (M)
Large (L)
Grande (G)
And there is also extra small, or XS, and extra-extra large, XXL.
I’m a small.
Eu uso tamanho pequeno.
Notice that we use the verb to be, not the verb use, since it can’t be used to talk
about clothes. It is incorrect to say, “I use a small,” for example. For that, we can
use the verb wear. Check it out:
In case it is the opposite, you say: And to ask for a different size, you can say:
These pants are too loose for me. Do you have it in another size?
Essas calças estão muito largas para mim. Você tem essa peça em outro tamanho?
Now you know a bit about units of measurement in the United States
customary units and how to interact with the salespeople concerning
sizes and measurements of clothes in the U.S.
Part 3.
Vocabulary
A. Number the columns according to the translation of the words.
Activities
( 1 ) 1 pound ( ) Apertado
( 2 ) 1 ounce ( ) Tamanho
( 3 ) 1 foot ( ) Largo
(4)1
inch ( ) Calças
( 5 ) Size ( ) 1 pé
( 6 ) Large ( ) Médio
( 7 ) Small ( ) Vestido
( 8 ) Medium ( ) Pequeno
( 9 ) Tight ( ) 1 libra
( 10 ) Loose ( ) Grande
( 11 ) Pants ( ) 1 onça
( 12 ) D
ress ( )1
polegada
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word according to the translation.
Part 4.
Grammar
In this chapter, we will talk about reflexive, subject, and object pronouns, as well
as the question word who.
Let’s start with subject pronouns. Look at the example:
SUBJE CT PRONOUNS
Singular Plural
I = eu we = nós
you = tu; você you = vós; vocês
he = ele they = eles/elas
she = ela
it = ele/ela; isso ( pronome neutro)
Notice that we use you for the second person in both singular and plural forms.
It is important to highlight that the subject pronoun it cannot be used for people.
Let’s see one more example about the use of subject pronouns. If you want to
talk about the salesperson, you can say:
SUBJE CT PRONOUNS
Notice that here we are not talking directly to the salesperson anymore, but
about him or her. So, we can replace the word salesperson for the third person
subject pronoun he or she.
Now, take a look at this other sentence:
In this case, right after the verb help, there is the pronoun me. It refers to the
person who is asking the question. Me is the receiver of the action, that is,
receives help from someone. So, we can say that this is the object of the verb.
We have got a similar case in this other sentence. Check it out:
By the context, we know this question refers to the dress, even though we didn’t
use the word dress in the sentence. Instead, we used the pronoun it, which is the
object of the verb. That means that someone has the dress, and not the other
way around.
In the previous examples, me refers to I, and it replaces dress. That means that
me and it work as object pronouns: they represent the objects of the verbs. In
that sense, they are opposite to subject pronouns, which represent the agents
of actions.
Check out a list of the object pronouns and the subject pronouns they refer to:
In short, subject pronouns do the action and the object pronouns receive the
action. For the first person singular use me. For the second person singular,
you. It is the same word we use to represent the subject pronoun, but we can see
their difference in the context.
For the third person singular we have him for feminine, her for masculine, and it
for all the other cases, except for people. Notice that we also use the word it as a
subject pronoun, but the context will show the difference.
In the plural, for the first person, we have us. For the second person, you.
Again, always pay attention to the context to find out if it is singular or plural,
subject or object pronoun. And for the third person plural, we have them.
OBJE CT PRONOUNS
Here, the customer is performing the action of looking for something. So, the
customer is the subject of the verb. To replace it, we will use a subject pronoun.
Since customer can be either male or female, we can use he or she.
And what is he or she looking for? A shirt. So, the shirt suffers the action of
being looked for. Then we use an object pronoun to replace it. Shirt is a singular
noun, so, we use it.
Sometimes, the object of the verb will be a person. Have a look:
OBJE CT PRONOUNS
The salesperson can be replaced with he or she, since it is the subject of the sentence—He or
she is helping my parents, or them, which is the object of
the sentence.
To recognize the subject, we ask who does the action of the main verb. Since it is a question
to find out the subject, we call it who (subject). Check it out:
WHO (SUBJE CT )
To ask a question using who (subject), we take the affirmative form, remove the
subject, and use who in its place.
Notice that the question with who (subject) is always in the third person
singular, “Who is helping?” It makes no sense to ask it in the plural, “Who are
helping?”, it is not correct. Regardless of the answer, this question will always be
in the singular.
The previous example was in the present continuous, so we just keep the verb to
be as an auxiliary verb.
Now, let’s ask a question with who (subject) in the simple present:
WHO (SUBJE CT )
Notice that we did not use the auxiliary verb do, which is normally
used in questions in the simple present. Following the same logic as
before, we take the sentence in the affirmative form and just place
who where the subject would be.
As you already know, questions using who (subject) are always
asked in the singular. That’s why we use the suffix -S in the main
verb, knows, so that we conjugate it in the third person singular.
A possible answer for that question would be:
WHO (SUBJE CT )
The answer in this case is salespeople, which is in the third person plural. As
you can see, only the questions must always be in the third person singular.
We can also use who to find out the person who receives the action. It is called
who (object). Take a look:
Notice that now we follow the general structure of the interrogative form. The
sentence is in the present continuous, so we start with who and then add the
interrogative form: is the salesperson helping. That is, we need to place the
auxiliary verb to be before the subject.
By now, it should be clear that questions with who refer to a person, no matter
if it is the subject or the object. With that in mind, a possible answer to that
question can be as follows:
WHO (OBJE CT )
Here, the customer is the person who is being helped by the salesperson, that is, he/she is the one who is
receiving the action. So, it is the object of the sentence.
In this case, the verb help is related to only one object, but some verbs admit two objects. That is the case
of the verb to buy, for example, as we buy something to someone. There are two objects for this verb: one
refers to a thing and the other refers to a person.
Have a look at the next example:
WHO (OBJE CT )
The direct object is the one that refers to a thing, in this case, presents; and the
indirect object is introduced by a preposition: for their relatives. Since the indirect
object refers to a person, we will ask the question using who. Check it out:
WHO (OBJE CT )
Notice that we are using the simple present, so we use the structure of the interrogative form
in the simple present. We have the question word who, then the auxiliary verb do, the subject,
foreign customers, and the complement. Also notice that the preposition to must be placed at
the end of the question.
In other words, some questions using who (object) need extra attention, for the verb may
admit more than one object and generate a question with a preposition.
So far, we’ve seen sentences in which the subject is different from the object, and we use
object pronouns to refer to the one who receives the action. But sometimes the subject and
the object are the same person. Take a look at this sentence:
SUBJE CT = OBJE CT
In this sentence, the subject is I. And there are two objects: one is shirt, and the
other is me. That is, I am buying the shirt, and it is a gift for me. So, the subject
and the object refer to the same person. In this case, we use reflexive pronouns
to refer to the object of the verb. And the reflexive pronoun for the subject
pronoun I is myself.
Let’s see the list of reflexive pronouns related to the subject pronouns.
Take a look:
Unfortunately, there is no general rule to form the reflexive pronouns, so the best
is to practice so you can get used to them. But we can say that the termination
-self is used for the pronouns in the singular, and -selves is used for the ones in
the plural.
Let’s see more examples.
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
In this sentence, the subject is you, so we use the reflexive pronoun yourself.
Another one:
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
The subject now is my mother, which can be related to the subject pronoun she,
so, in this case, the corresponding reflexive pronoun is herself.
And in both these cases, the question with who will follow the same logic as the
object pronoun. For the first example, we would have:
For myself.
Para mim mesmo(a)
For myself.
Para mim mesmo(a)
As you can see, regardless of the answer, the question will be asked
the same way.
GRAMMAR GUIDE
Part 5.
Grammar
A. Choose the option that describes the kind of pronoun used in the sentences.
Activities
a) Could you help me find the right size of d) She is looking for it.
dress? Ela está procurando por isso.
Você poderia me ajudar a achar o tamanho
certo de vestido?
( 1 ) Subject Pronoun
( 2 ) Object Pronoun
( 1 ) Subject Pronoun ( 3 ) Reflexive Pronoun
( 2 ) Object Pronoun
( 3 ) Reflexive Pronoun e) He is helping them.
Ele está ajudando eles.
b) Do you have it in another size?
Você tem isso em outro tamanho?
( 1 ) Subject Pronoun
( 2 ) Object Pronoun
( 1 ) Subject Pronoun ( 3 ) Reflexive Pronoun
( 2 ) Object Pronoun
( 3 ) Reflexive Pronoun
f) I’m buying the shirt for myself.
Eu estou comprando a camisa para mim
c) My mother likes to buy shoes for herself.
mesmo.
Minha mãe gosta de comprar sapatos para ela
mesma.
( 1 ) Subject Pronoun
( 2 ) Object Pronoun
( 1 ) Subject Pronoun ( 3 ) Reflexive Pronoun
( 2 ) Object Pronoun
( 3 ) Reflexive Pronoun
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words according to the translation.
f. myself
d. them
e. you
Activity B – Answers
d) She is helping .
Ela está ajudando eles.
c. herself
e) Who usually knows the right size for ?
a. She
b. me
Quem geralmente sabe o tamanho certo para você?
Activity A – Answers
Eu estou comprando a camisa para mim mesmo.
d. 1
e. 2
f. 3
b. 2
a. 2
c. 3
Notes
Part 1.
Video Script In this chapter, we will focus on specific vocabulary related to buying shoes.
We will also see some grammar topics that will help you interact in this kind of
situation.
Now, look at the script of: Shopping for shoes.
[At a store]
Lucas:
So, by now you’re probably guessing that the American system for
measuring shoes is also quite unique, and you would be absolutely
right! The big thing to know about this is that sizes for men’s shoes and
women’s shoes are actually different.
Amy:
A better way to put it is that they use the same system. So, we have
sizes ranging from 5 to 12, or even up to 14 for men. And they also
come in half-sizes, so five and a half, six, six and a half, so on and so
forth. But the sizes are measured differently between men and women.
Lucas:
Which is kind of weird...
Amy:
It is weird!
Lucas:
Yeah, let’s show them!
Amy:
OK!
Amy:
This is a woman’s 8W.
Lucas:
Right, so they’ll always be marked. Sometimes men’s shoes will be
marked with an M, sometimes the women’s shoes will be marked with
a W, so you will be able to look at the markings to see which one is for
women and which one is for men.
Amy:
But we’re going to show you how different these sizes are!
Amy:
Yeah, you do not want to go home with the wrong size shoes.
Lucas:
Especially if you’re shopping for someone else! Make sure that you know
that you’re looking at a men’s shoe size, or a women’s shoe size. And if
all else fails, you can take out your measuring tape and measure it!
Lynn:
We carry hiking shoes, athletic tennis shoes, we carry work shoes.
Lucas:
Lots of different kinds?
Lynn:
Lots of different kinds of shoes, summer shoes, sandals, slippers, boat
shoes, all kinds...
Lucas:
Great! So, for all different activities! All different types of weather and
seasons.
Amy:
Do you have a lot of international clients or visitors come through?
Lynn:
In the summertime we get quite a few visitors, and also around the
holidays; we do also have people from different countries that are
coming here to spend the holidays.
Amy:
Do they ask for help with the difference in shoe sizing between the
systems?
Lynn:
Sometimes they do. And European sizes are different than our sizes
here, so sometimes we'll have to ask them what size of shoe, sometimes
we’ll have to look inside their shoe and try to compare to get it as close
as possible to what we have here!
Lucas:
So, you do have ways of helping them make that translation.
Lynn:
Absolutely! We always try to help the costumer!
Lucas:
Do you have any advice for international costumers that you might want
to throw out there?
Lynn:
Just look around; if you have questions, ask. We’ll help you with sizes
and compare prices with different things we carry in the store.
Lucas:
Well, thank you, Lynn! That was really helpful! Thanks a lot!
Lynn:
I’m glad I was able to help!
Lucas:
Thank you!
COMPRANDO CALÇADOS
Amy:
Uma maneira melhor de dizer isso é que eles usam o mesmo sistema.
Os tamanhos variam de 5 ao 12, ou até mesmo 14 para homens. E
também há tamanhos como cinco, cinco e meio, seis e seis e meio,
e assim por diante. Porém, esses tamanhos são medidos de forma
diferente entre homens e mulheres.
Lucas:
O que é um pouco estranho...
Amy:
É estranho sim!
Lucas:
Sim! Vamos mostrar para eles!
Amy:
OK!
Amy:
Este é um tamanho 8 feminino.
Lucas:
Certo, então eles são marcados. Às vezes, tênis masculinos são
marcados com um M, e, às vezes, tênis femininos são marcados com um
W. Então, você poderá ver e procurar por esses detalhes para saber qual
é o feminino e qual é o masculino.
Amy:
Mas vamos mostrar as diferenças desses tamanhos!
[Comparando os calçados]
Lucas:
Como vocês podem ver, eles estão se tocando... Você pode ver na ponta
que o feminino é claramente menor do que o tênis masculino. Logo, você
definitivamente tem que se lembrar disso, pois isso é uma experiência
singularmente americana!
Amy:
Exato! Você não quer voltar para casa com o tamanho de tênis errado.
Lucas:
Especialmente caso esteja comprando para outra pessoa! Certifique-se
de que você sabe que está olhando para um tênis masculino ou um tênis
feminino. E, se tudo o mais der errado, você sempre pode usar a fita
métrica para medi-lo!
Lynn:
Nós vendemos botas para trilha, tênis para esporte, sapatos sociais...
Lucas:
Inúmeros tipos?
Lynn:
Inúmeros tipos de calçados, calçados mais casuais, sandálias, chinelos,
galochas, vários tipos...
Lucas:
Ótimo! Para todas as atividades! Todo tipo de atividade ou clima!
Amy:
Vocês recebem muitos visitantes internacionais?
Lynn:
Durante o verão recebemos alguns turistas, e também mais perto
dos feriados de fim de ano. Também recebemos pessoas de países
diferentes que vieram passar o fim de ano aqui.
Amy:
Eles pedem ajuda com a diferença entre os tamanhos de calçados?
Lynn:
Algumas vezes sim. Tamanhos europeus são diferentes dos nossos, e às
vezes temos que perguntar qual o tamanho que os clientes usam, ou até
mesmo olhar dentro dos seus calçados para comparar e chegar o mais
perto possível do que temos aqui.
Lucas:
Então você tem ferramentas para ajudar nessa tradução?
Lynn:
É claro! Nós sempre tentamos ajudar nossos clientes!
Lucas:
Você tem algum conselho para clientes internacionais que você queira
compartilhar?
Lynn:
Dê uma olhada e, caso tenha perguntas, é só chamar! Vamos te ajudar
com tudo isso: tamanhos, comparar os preços com outros artigos que
vendemos na loja...
Lucas:
Muito obrigado, Lynn! Isso nos ajudou muito! Muito obrigado!
Lynn:
Que bom que pude ajudar!
Lucas:
Obrigado!
Part 2.
T YPES OF SALES
You can find shelves or even whole aisles for these categories. They may also be subdivided
according to their use.
Casual shoes are more comfortable and used for everyday activities.
For example:
CASUAL SHOES
Dress shoes are considered formal wear, which means they are used in work
environments, and at fancy parties or weddings. For example:
DRESS SHOES
Pumps High-heels
Scarpins Sapatos de salto alto em geral
Stilettos Oxfords
Sapato de salto agulha Sapatos sociais masculinos
Just like clothes, shoe sizes are different in the U.S. The stores will
probably have size charts that compare sizes. If you need any help,
you can approach the salesperson and say:
Excuse me. Could you help me find the right shoe size?
Você pode me ajudar a achar o tamanho de sapato certo?
You can also say the size you are used to wearing and they will help you find the
corresponding one there. Here is what you can say:
I have a voucher/coupon
Eu tenho um cupom de desconto.
Part 3.
Vocabulary
A. Number the columns according to the translation of the words.
Activities
( 1 ) Shoes ( ) Sandálias
( 3 ) Sandals ( ) Tênis
( 4 ) F lip-flops ( ) Galochas
( 5 ) Pumps ( ) Sapatos/Calçados
( 6 ) High-heels ( ) Chinelos
( 7 ) Stilettos ( ) Sapatilhas
( 9 ) Sneakers ( ) Scarpins
( 12 ) M
occasins ( )S
apato de salto agulha
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word, according to the translation.
Part 4.
Grammar
In this chapter, we will talk about the possessive case, possessive adjectives,
possessive pronouns, and the question word whose.
When we want to classify or describe an object, we can use the possessive case:
the apostrophe + S. For example:
POSSESSIVE CASE
Here we have the word kid, which is a common noun. We add the apostrophe +
S and the word foot to indicate that part of the body as belonging to the kid we are
talking about.
And we use both the possessive case and the possessive pronouns to show that
someone owns something. Let’s take a look at an example we have already seen
to better understand it:
In the example, let’s suppose the kid we are talking about is a boy. In this case,
the possessive adjective is his. So, we will replace kid’s with the corresponding
possessive adjective: his.
And once again, the possessive adjective is followed by what belongs to boy—
foot. Notice that the possessive adjective his replaces kid’s, but we also removed
my from the sentence, because it wouldn’t make sense to leave it there.
In short, the possessive adjective replaces the noun + apostrophe + S. Let’s take
a look at the possessive adjectives and what they refer to:
my our
First Person First Person
meu(s), minha(s) nosso(s), nossa(s)
your your
Second Person
seu(s), sua(s), teu(s), tua(s) Second Person seu(s), sua(s), vosso(s),
vossa(s), de vocês
his
seu(s), sua(s), dele
her their
Third Person
seu(s), sua(s), dela Third Person seus, suas, deles, delas
its
seu(s), sua(s), dele, dela
Or
When Karen starts talking to Lia, she says your boots, which includes the
possessive adjective and the noun.
Then, Lia may choose to answer using the possessive adjective my to answer
the question. And in such case, the noun must be part of the sentence, as in:
They are not my boots.
However, it is also an option to use the possessive pronoun mine, as in, “But
they are not mine.” It would not be necessary to say boots again, because we
understand it from the context. The advantage of using the possessive pronoun is
that we avoid repeating the noun and the speech sounds more natural.
That is the difference between the possessive adjective and the possessive
pronoun. When we use a possessive pronoun, we replace the structure
possessive adjective + noun.
Let’s see some more examples. Look at this sentence built with the
possessive case:
POSSESSIVE CASE
Anna needs new shoes. Anna’s shoes are old and ugly.
Anna precisa de sapatos novos. Os sapatos da Anna estão velhos e feios.
Since it is not necessary to say Anna twice, we can replace Anna’s with
a possessive adjective. Look:
Anna needs new shoes. Her shoes are old and ugly
Anna precisa de sapatos novos. Os sapatos dela estão velhos e feios.
But we still have another word being said twice: shoes. To avoid the repetition,
we will use a possessive pronoun:
POSSESSIVE PRONOUN
In this example, Hers means Her shoes or Anna’s shoes. It replaces the person who owns the
object and the object itself, so the repetition can be avoided.
mine ours
First Person First Person
meu(s), minha(s) nosso(s), nossa(s)
yours yours
Second Person
seu(s), sua(s), teu(s), tua(s) Second Person seu(s), sua(s), vosso(s),
vossa(s), de vocês
his
seu(s), sua(s), dele
hers
Third Person theirs
seu(s), sua(s), dela Third Person
seu(s), sua(s), deles, delas
its
seu(s), sua(s), dele, dela
To form the possessive pronouns, you just add -S to the end of the possessive
adjectives, unless they already end in -S, such as its and his: they will remain the
same. The only exception is mine, which is a completely different word.
Let’s have a look at some more examples.
Suppose you are at the cashier paying for your shoes and the attendant mixes
up your packages. You can say:
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
Excuse me, but these shoes are blue. Mine are black.
( my shoes)
Com licença, mas estes sapatos são azuis. Os meus são pretos.
Then the attendant realizes the confusion, gives you a different package, points
to a man, and says:
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
Oh, I’m sorry. These are yours. The blue shoes are his.
(your shoes) (his shoes)
In this sentence, there are two possessive pronouns: yours, which means your
shoes, and his, that replaces his shoes.
To ask question about possession, we use the question word whose. Let’s take a
look at an example:
WHOSE
To make the question, we use whose followed by the possessed object, in this
case, shoes. Then we add the interrogative form of the verb: are these.
One more example:
WHOSE
Again, whose is followed by the possessed object, packages, and the interrogative form of the sentence.
And to answer this question, you can use the possessive case, possessive adjectives, or possessive
pronouns. Check it out:
WHO (OBJE CT )
Whose shoes are these? These are her shoes. (Possessive Adjective)
De quem são esses sapatos? Esses são os sapatos dela.
These are Anna’s shoes. (Possessive Case) These are hers. (Possessive Pronoun)
Esses são os sapatos da Anna. Esses são dela
GRAMMAR GUIDE
Part 5.
Grammar
A. Number the sentences according to the form of possessive used in them
Activities
( 1 ) Possessive Case
( 2 ) Possessive Adjective
( 3 ) Possessive Pronoun
c) Thank you. But they are not mine. They are my mother’s. ( )
Obrigada. Mas elas não são minhas. São da minha mãe
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word according to the translation.
c) foot is 14 cm long.
O pé dele mede 14 cm.
Activity B – Answers
d) Thank you. But they are not mine. They are my .
d. mother’s
Obrigada. Mas elas não são minhas. São da minha mãe.
f. Whose
a. Anna’s
g. theirs
e. Hers
b. Her
c. His
e) Anna needs new shoes. are old and ugly.
Anna precisa de sapatos novos. Os dela estão velhos e feios.
Activity A – Answers
f) shoes are these?
De quem são esses sapatos?
d. 3
b. 1
a. 2
e. 3
c. 1
f. 2
g) These are .
Esses são deles.
Notes
Part 1.
Video Script In this chapter, we will talk about shopping for cosmetics. Nowadays, men and
women seem to care about their self-image, and this is one of the fastest growing
industries in the world. Buying cosmetics in the United States is a whole new
world. We will cover a few words and sentences related to this topic, and also
some grammar that will improve your skills in the language.
Take a look at the script of: Shopping for cosmetics.
[At a drugstore]
Lucas:
So, in a lot of countries all over the world, going to the pharmacy or to
the drugstore doesn’t really sound like a good time. It's where you go to
pick up medications and stuff like that.
Amy:
But that’s not how it works in the U.S.!
Lucas:
Definitely not!
Amy:
You can find press-on nails, nail polish, make-up, candy, party balloons,
birthday cards, everything! I know it might sound weird, but in the U.S.,
convenience stores are kid-friendly places. And you can find toys and
groceries...
Lucas:
I mean, most of the time, people don’t actually go to a drugstore to get
medicine, although you can. But that isn’t always the reason why people
go.
Amy:
Maybe you want to just pick up some cosmetics! You can find all sorts
of make-up, perfume, nail polish, moisturizers, almost whatever you can
think of!
Lucas:
Wow, that’s really good!
Amy:
The advantage of going to those stores is that you’ll have sales
reps who can help make suggestions for you or answer any specific
questions you might have.
Lucas:
But if you’re thinking price, now this is something that you really need
to look into, because you’re going to find really good deals all over the
place. I’m talking about some “buy one get, one free” offers, or lots of
variations on that. Because I know I’ve seen some “buy one, get two
free,” or “buy one, get one 50% off.” I mean, there’s lots of possibilities
there that you should really, really take advantage of.
Amy:
Yeah, you do not want to go home with the wrong size shoes.
Lucas:
Especially if you’re shopping for someone else! Make sure that you know
that you’re looking at a men’s shoe size, or a women’s shoe size. And if
all else fails, you can take out your measuring tape and measure it!
Amy:
You definitely want to reserve some time to check these out, because
they’re so worth it!
Gabriel:
It really depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for just
something for day to day, you can get that at a pharmacy. Or just a local
kind of little cheaper store, that’s fine. But if you’re looking for higher
end, maybe better blushes and eyeshadows and that kind of make-up,
it’s better to go to a specialty store because they’ll usually have people
like me, who are familiar with all the products in the store. And they’ll
be able to help you pick an item that’ll be best for you. In most cosmetic
stores, they have a demonstration.
Amy:
What do you think about men wearing make-up? Because I see a lot of
that in West Hollywood; specially I see men with better skin than me!
Gabriel:
Well, there are different levels of men wearing make-up...
Amy:
What about a way to do it that’s subtle and unnoticeable?
Gabriel:
Well, that’s best to use foundations, and concealer is actually the most
popular thing that men get. Because it helps with the under-eye, and
then maybe a little light eyeliner helps as well. I mean, obviously you
don’t paint it on, but if you dab it a little around the eye, it helps define
the eye.
Amy:
Thank you so much for this information that you gave us today!
Amy:
Mas não é assim que funciona nos EUA!
Lucas:
Definitivamente não!
Amy:
Você pode comprar unhas postiças, esmalte, maquiagem, balas, balões
pra festa, cartões de aniversário, tudo! Eu sei que soa como algo
estranho, mas, nos EUA, lojas de conveniência são lugares para ir com
seus filhos. Você pode encontrar brinquedos, comida...
Lucas:
Quer dizer, na maioria das vezes, as pessoas não vão à farmácia para
comprar remédios, apesar de isso acontecer. Mas esse nem sempre é o
motivo da sua visita!
Amy:
Talvez você queira comprar alguns cosméticos! Você pode encontrar
todo tipo de maquiagem, perfume, esmalte, hidratantes, tudo o que você
pensar!
Lucas:
Uau, que ótimo!
Amy:
As vantagens dessas lojas é que haverá vendedores especializados que
podem fazer sugestões ou responder perguntas mais específicas que
você possa ter.
Lucas:
Mas, caso você esteja pensando em preços, isso é algo que você talvez
precise pesquisar, porque você vai conseguir achar ótimas promoções
em vários lugares! Estou falando de promoções “compre um, leve dois”,
ou variações dela! Porque sei que já vi algumas de “compre um, leve
dois” ou “compre um, e ganhe 50% de desconto na outra unidade”.
Existem muitas possibilidades que você deveria aproveitar!
Amy:
Você com certeza deve reservar parte do seu tempo para conhecer
essas lojas, pois elas valem muito a pena!
Gabriel:
Depende do que você está procurando. Se você quer algo para o dia
a dia, você pode ir até a farmácia, ou uma loja local e mais barata. Mas
caso queira algo mais caro, talvez blushes melhores, e sombras e outros
tipos de maquiagem, é melhor visitar uma loja especializada, pois lá vai
haver pessoas, como eu, que conhecem bem os produtos da loja e vão
conseguir lhe ajudar a escolher o melhor produto para você. Na maioria
das lojas de cosméticos, eles fazem demonstrações.
Amy:
Qual sua opinião sobre homens usando maquiagem? Porque eu vejo
muitos usando aqui por West Hollywood, e vejo muitos homens com
peles melhores que a minha!
Gabriel:
Bem, há diferentes níveis de homens usando maquiagem...
Amy:
Qual seria um jeito de usá-la de modo sutil e imperceptível?
Gabriel:
Bem, é melhor usar uma boa base, e corretivo é algo muito popular entre
homens que usam maquiagem. Porque ajuda muito com as olheiras, e
talvez um delineador bem de leve, que também ajuda. Claro, não é para
pintar o olho todo, mas talvez passar um pouco em volta dele; isso ajuda
a defini-lo melhor!
Amy:
Muito obrigada pelas dicas que você nos deu hoje!
Part 2.
In the United States, however, you do not only find medication at pharmacies or drugstores:
Pharmacies, which are also called drugstores, offer lots of cosmetics options.
Farmácias, que também são chamadas de drogarias, oferecem muitas opções de cosméticos.
HAIRCARE PRODUCTS
shampoo conditioner
xampu condicionador
And other cosmetics for everyday care that are cheaper than fancy brands, such as:
At drugstores, you can also find free samples that you can take home and try
before buying. In short:
To do that, look for testers, which are products that are available to
the public. And if you are not sure something can be tested, just ask.
Suppose you want to test a foundation; you can say:
Pay attention to the verb test. It is the most appropriate in this context, but if you
are at a shoes or clothing store, for instance, you can’t say:
For clothes and shoes, you can only use try on. So, the right sentence is:
Since we are on make-up products, here is a list of what you can find at drugstores:
MAKE-UP PRODUCTS
Eyeshadow Eyeliner
Concealer
Sombra para os Delineador para
Corretivo
olhos os olhos
At specialty stores, there are people who can help you choose the right make-up for you.
Nas lojas especializadas, há pessoas que podem te ajudar a escolher a maquiagem certa para você.
Notice that the pronoun one replaces the word palette to avoid repetitions in the discourse.
And, in the plural form, we use ones. For example:
Part 3.
Vocabulary
A. Number the columns according to the translation of the words.
Activities
( 1 ) Drugstore ( ) Rímel
( 2 ) Medication ( ) Condicionador
( 3 ) Cosmetics ( ) Base
( 4 ) Make-up ( ) Batom
( 7 ) Conditioner ( ) Drogaria
( 8 ) Foundation ( ) Cosméticos
( 11 ) Mascara ( ) Maquiagem
( 12 ) L
ipstick ( )X
ampu antiqueda
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word according to the translation.
a) Pharmacies, which are also called drugstores, d) At , there are people who
offer lots of options. can help you choose the right make-up for you.
Farmácias, que também são chamadas de dro- Nas lojas especializadas, há pessoas que
garias, oferecem muitas opções de cosméticos. podem te ajudar a escolher a maquiagem certa
para você.
b) At , there are lots of
possibilities that you should take advantage of. e) What color would you
Nas drogarias, há várias possibilidades que você rather try?
deve aproveitar. Que paleta de cores você prefere experimentar?
f. golden
e. palette b. drugstores 1/3/9/5/4/6
d. specialty store a. cosmetics 11/ 7 / 8 / 12 / 2 / 10 /
c. foundation Activity B – Answers Activity A – Answers
Part 4.
Grammar
In this chapter, we will talk about the question words what and which, impersonal
pronouns, and relative pronouns.
Some question words make a difference when it comes to making choices,
and what and which are two of the most confused ones. Let’s start by trying to
untangle these concepts.
In many occasions, what and which are interchangeable. That is, we can choose
either one, and it won’t change the main idea. Like this, take a look:
WHAT = WHICH
In this case, what and which are interchangeable because there are many options
to choose from, that is, there is a huge variety of moisturizers.
On the other hand, what and which will not be interchangeable when there are
few options. In this case, we have got to use which.
Check it out:
WHAT ≠ WHICH
Which moisturizer is good for oily skin: the blue one or the white one?
Qual hidratante é bom para pele oleosa: o azul ou o branco?
Here, the amount of options is reduced: there are only two moisturizers.
That’s why we used which.
We could also say:
Which of these moisturizers is good: the blue one or the white one?
Qual desses hidratantes é bom: o azul ou o branco?
In this context, one is not a cardinal number since it is not being used to count
anything. Here, one is an impersonal pronoun that replaces the singular noun
lipstick to avoid repetition in the discourse.
Attention: you may choose to repeat the noun in the sentence or use the pronoun
one to replace it, but you cannot simply say:
Which?
Qual?
And the answer will follow the same logic. Check it out:
In the previous example, we used one to replace a word in the singular: lipstick.
If the noun is in the plural, then, we use ones. Once again, ones does not work as
a cardinal number in this context. Check out this next dialogue:
Here, we are talking about palettes, in the plural. So, we use the impersonal
pronouns ones in the plural too. And the answer is in the plural as well.
There is another use for which that does not refer to choices or to
defining objects.
Take a look at these pieces of information:
We could say these sentences as they are, separately, but it would be repetitive to say pharmacies twice.
Notice that pharmacies is the subject in both sentences, “Pharmacies offer” and “Pharmacies are.”
We are talking about an establishment, a thing. When a thing is the subject of the sentence and it is
repeated in a second piece of information, we use which to replace it, joining the two separate sentences into
one. Take a look:
Pharmacies, which are also called drugstores, offer lots of cosmetics options.
Farmácias, que/as quais também são chamadas de drogarias, oferecem muitas opções de cosméticos.
If the term refers to a person, the relative pronoun will be who. But pay attention:
who, in this case, is not a question word. Take a look at these sentences:
2 – The people can help you choose the right make-up for you.
2 – As pessoas podem te ajudar a escolher a maquiagem certa para você.
The repeated term is people, and this is the element of the sentence
that will be replaced with who, since it refers to individuals, persons,
not a thing or an establishment. So, we will have:
As you can notice by now, the relative pronoun comes right after the term it is
replacing. So, who refers to people. We can say that who is replacing people in
the sentence where this term is the subject.
There are two more relative pronouns we will cover in this chapter. The first one
is where, and it refers to a place. Check it out:
Notice that where is not being used as a question word; we are not asking a
question about location. It refers to the word places, the location to which you go
to pick up medication. That’s why we have to use where when we replace it in
the sentence.
You could just say the whole idea without using the relative pronoun, like this:
The difference is that it won’t be as emphatic, because the relative pronoun gives emphasis to
the discourse.
And, last but not least, when we want to emphasize a moment, we use the relative pronoun
when. Check it out:
Prefer to buy on Black Friday, when you can get cosmetics at the best prices.
Prefira comprar na Black Friday, quando você pode conseguir cosméticos com os
melhores preços.
In this case, when refers to Black Friday, that is, the moment at which you can perform an
action. In this example, buying cosmetics for very good prices. There is no question being asked
here—when is just connecting two pieces of information, emphasizing the idea that this is the
best moment to perform the action.
In this chapter, we’ve seen the question words what and which and
learned how to use impersonal and relative pronouns. If you want
to learn more about these topics, take a look at the Grammar Guide
section at the end of your book.
GRAMMAR GUIDE
Part 5.
Grammar
A. Number the sentences according to the function of the words in bold.
Activities
( 1 ) Question word
( 2 ) Impersonal pronoun
( 3 ) Relative Pronoun
a) Prefer to buy on Black Friday, when you can get cosmetics at the best prices. ( )
Prefira comprar na Black Friday, quando você pode conseguir cosméticos com
os melhores preços.
b) Which moisturizer is good for oily skin: the blue one or the white one? ( )
Qual hidratante é bom para pele oleosa: o azul ou o branco?
c) Which of these moisturizers is good: the blue one or the white one? ( )
Qual desses hidratantes é bom: o azul ou o branco?
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word according to the translation.
a) moisturizer is good for oily skin: the blue one or the white one?
Qual hidratante é bom para pele oleosa: o azul ou o branco?
c) ?
Quais?
e) At specialty stores, there are people can help you choose the right make-up
for you.
Nas lojas especializadas, há pessoas que podem te ajudar a escolher a maquiagem certa para você.
g) Prefer to buy on Black Friday, you can get cosmetics at the best prices.
Prefira comprar na Black Friday, quando você pode conseguir cosméticos com os melhores preços.
f. when c. which f. 3 c. 1
e. where b. ones e. 1 b. 2
d. who a. Which d. 2 a. 3
Activity B – Answers Activity A – Answers
Notes
Part 1.
Video Script In this chapter, we will focus on buying electronics. You will learn a few words
and sentences related to this topic, such as names of some popular devices, and
tips on what to say and do when you go shopping for them. As usual, we will also
present you with some language items that will improve your skills in the English
language.
Take a look at the script of: Shopping for electronics.
Lucas:
Oh, yeah! Maybe your camera accidentally took a deep-sea dive in the
ocean, or maybe someone knocked your smartphone out of your hands
and it fell onto the ground and shattered into a million pieces, or maybe
your laptop got crushed when somebody else shoved their carry-on bag
on the overhead compartment.
Amy:
Or maybe none of that happened and you just want the latest on
cutting-edge tech.
Lucas:
Or maybe that
Amy:
But there are some pros and cons.
Lucas:
True, some pros: definitely, when you buy gadgets here you could be
getting a really fat deal! Depending on where you’re from, you might pay
a third of the price here than you would in your home country. And even
if you’re not getting a huge deal on the gadget, the benefit of buying
gadgets here in the U.S. is that you might be getting something that’s
brand new, that’s not even available in your home country yet!
Amy:
But there are some cons to consider, like warranties. Some brands and
manufacturers will honor international warranties. So, if you’re buying
out of your home country, that’s a plus, but you do have to check.
Lucas:
And another thing is the power outlet. Chances are that the United
States uses a different power outlet than you might at your home
country. So, if you buy a gadget here, you’re going to need to buy an
adaptor in order to be able to charge it. But if you have weighed the pros
and cons and you’ve made up your mind, then here’s a couple of tips for
you.
Amy:
First, you want to check the price. Depending on what you’re looking
for, if it’s a specific brand, going to that brand’s showroom, you might
be paying full retail value. Because those big, beautiful, showrooms cost
money. Whereas if you go to an authorized reseller, they might be able
to offer additional deals, promotional discounts, etc., especially if the
item is an older model.
Lucas:
And another thing to keep in mind is that, if you’re buying a new gadget,
and you’re taking it home and going through customs, you might be
importing the new device into your country. So, you should check your
country’s limits, because they might want to check a receipt and then
they will charge you an extra tax on top of what you already paid. So,
in essence, do your research. Because if you don’t, you end up paying
more than you actually saved.
Lucas:
So, Ryan, what are some differences in the products that you have? Just
tells us a little bit about what you can.
Ryan:
In electronics, we sell more than just electronics. We sell TVs, laptops,
chargers for phones, tablets. But we also sell, maybe, laptop bags,
or other games or such. So, we sell more than what is just purely
electronics. Anything that can go with it, maybe, an electronic appliance,
or something that you think would be convenient if you have something
electronic in front of you.
Lucas:
OK, and do you often get international customers coming in?
Ryan:
Yeah, it does happen. Usually someone who’s from Europe or
something, that’ll try to look for an adaptor for a wall outlet, something
to plug in their appliances and whatnot.
Amy:
In America, we sell a lot of second-hand, or what’s called refurbished
units. Is that something that the store offers?
Ryan:
Yeah, usually if a TV is bought by one customer and for whatever reason
they return it, maybe it’s damaged or something, we’ll give it to claims,
then they’ll refurbish it. They’ll make it basically as good as new again,
but usually, since it was used already, and it was refurbished, we’ve got
a discounted price. So, that does happen with some products. And we’ll
offer those at a discounted price, so it’s usually good for the consumer
that way.
Lucas:
And are there still guarantees with products like that?
Ryan:
Yes, there’s still a guarantee. There’s a warranty that can be bought.
Claims won’t let anything go back here that isn’t pretty much as good
as new. It’s just that: if a consumer or customer wants one thing that’s
refurbished, or a brand-new product, they'll get the brand-new product,
so we still have a discounted price for the refurbished one.
Lucas:
Alright, great! Thanks a lot, Ryan!
Ryan:
No problem, thank you!
Lucas:
Alright, great! Thanks a lot, Ryan!
Ryan:
No problem, thank you!
Lucas:
Sim! Talvez a sua câmera tenha dado um mergulho no mar, ou talvez
alguém tenha derrubado seu smartphone das suas mãos e ele caiu
no chão, se estilhaçando todo! Ou talvez alguém tenha esmagado seu
laptop ao colocar a bagagem no compartimento superior do avião!
Amy:
Ou talvez nada disso tenha acontecido, e você só quer o que há de novo
em tecnologia de ponta.
Lucas:
Ou talvez isso!
Amy:
Como sempre, há prós e contras.
Lucas:
É verdade, alguns prós são óbvios. Quando você compra eletrônicos
aqui, você pode estar economizando muita grana! Dependendo do seu
país de origem, você pode pagar até um terço do preço aqui, comparado
com o preço original do produto em seu país. E mesmo que você não
esteja fazendo um grande negócio, o benefício de comprar eletrônicos
aqui nos EUA é que você pode estar conseguindo algo novo em folha
que ainda não está disponível no seu país!
Amy:
Mas temos alguns contras para se levar em consideração, como
garantias. Algumas marcas cobrem garantias internacionais. Logo, se
você está comprando algo no exterior, isso é um bom adicional, caso
seja confirmado.
Lucas:
Outra coisa é a tomada. Muito provavelmente os Estados Unidos
usam um padrão de tomada diferente do que você usa no seu país de
origem. Logo, se você comprar um eletrônico aqui, talvez precise de um
adaptador para conseguir carregá-lo. Se você já pesou os prós e contras
e se decidiu, temos algumas dicas para você.
Amy:
Primeiramente, confira o preço. Dependendo do que você estiver
procurando, se for uma marca específica e você for a um showroom,
talvez tenha que pagar o preço cheio, porque essas lojas enormes e
lindas custam dinheiro. Mas se você for a um revendedor autorizado,
talvez eles consigam te oferecer alguma promoção ou desconto,
principalmente se o artigo for de um modelo antigo.
Lucas:
Outra coisa a se considerar é que, se você está comprando um
eletrônico, levando-o para casa e passando pela alfândega, você pode
estar importando esse novo aparelho para seu país. Logo, confira os
limites alfandegários do seu país, porque eles podem pedir a nota fiscal,
para então cobrar um imposto sobre o valor que você já pagou. Ou
seja, pesquise. Caso contrário, você pode acabar pagando mais do que
economizou!
Lucas:
Ryan, quais algumas diferenças dos produtos que você tem à venda?
Conte-nos um pouco sobre eles!
Ryan:
No setor de eletrônicos, vendemos mais do que somente eletrônicos.
Vendemos TVs, laptops, carregadores para telefones e tablets, mas
também vendemos mochilas para laptop, jogos... Logo, vendemos mais
do que produtos eletrônicos. Qualquer coisa que possamos vender junto
com um eletrônico, ou algo que achamos que possa ser conveniente se
você tem algum eletrônico à sua frente.
Lucas:
OK, e você recebe muitos clientes internacionais?
Ryan:
Sim, recebemos. Normalmente é algum europeu, por exemplo,
procurando por um adaptador de tomada, algo para ligar seus
aparelhos...
Amy:
Nos Estados Unidos, vendemos muita coisa de segunda mão, o que
chamamos de unidades recondicionadas. Vocês vendem elas aqui?
Ryan
Sim, se uma televisão foi comprada por um cliente e, por qualquer
razão, ela foi devolvida, talvez por algum defeito ou algo do tipo, nós
a encaminhamos para o setor responsável, e eles fazem os reparos.
Eles vão deixar o aparelho como novo. Mas, por ele já ter sido usado e
recondicionado, nós damos um desconto no preço. Isso acontece com
alguns produtos, e oferecemos eles com preços mais baixos, o que
acaba sendo bom para o consumidor!
Lucas:
Esses produtos têm garantia?
Ryan:
Sim, você pode comprar uma garantia. Nada volta à venda sem que
esteja como novo. É assim: se um cliente ou consumidor quer um
produto recondicionado, ou novo em folha, ele escolhe o zerado. Então,
ainda temos o preço com desconto para o recondicionado!
Lucas:
Beleza, ótimo! Muito obrigado, Ryan
Ryan:
Sem problemas, eu que agradeço!
Part 2.
Vocabulary In this chapter, we are going to see some vocabulary related to electronics.
The word technophiles refers to people who love technology and don’t miss a launch:
The United States still attracts many electronics buyers. Look at a list of some of the most-
wanted products:
ELE CTRONICS
laptop computers /
cell phones flat-screen TVs
notebooks
telefones celulares televisões de tela plana
computadores portáteis
But there are some things to consider when shopping for electronics abroad.
For example:
The plug might not fit the power outlet you have back home.
O plugue do aparelho pode não encaixar na tomada que você tem em casa.
But some companies don’t offer international coverage, which means that:
You may find products that haven’t been launched in your home country yet.
Você pode encontrar produtos que ainda não foram lançados no seu país de origem.
Depending on the situation, you might pay one third of the price you would back home.
Dependendo da situação, você pode pagar um terço do preço que você pagaria em casa.
Depending on where you shop in the U.S., you might get big fat deals.
Dependendo de onde comprar nos EUA, você pode conseguir belos descontos
If the product you want is still too expensive, you may opt for second-hand refurbished items:
Stores commonly buy used products or with minor damages and resell them.
É comum que as lojas comprem produtos usados ou com pequenos defeitos e os revendam.
These products have warranty too. You should check their coverage just the
same. And no matter which electronics you buy, refurbished or brand-new:
Part 3.
Vocabulary
A. Number the columns according to the translation of the words.
Activities
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word(s) according to the translation.
a) They are always after d) Depending on where you shop in the U.S., you
cutting-edge tech. might get .
Eles sempre estão atrás das tecnologias Dependendo de onde comprar nos EUA, você
avançadas mais atuais. pode conseguir belos descontos.
b) The might not fit the e) They will be as good as new for a
power outlet you have back home. .
O plugue do aparelho pode não encaixar na Esses produtos estarão tão bons quanto os novos,
tomada que você tem em casa. por um preço menor.
c. adaptor f. receipt
b. plug e. lower price 2 / 6 / 8 / 10 / 7 / 3
a. the latest d. big fat deals 5/ 11 / 9 / 12 / 4 / 1 /
Activity B – Answers Activity A – Answers
Part 4.
Grammar
In this chapter, we will be talking about the modal verbs may and might and the use of the
structures will and be + going to to refer to the future.
We have already seen that the structure be + going to is used to refer to plans. For example:
BE + GOING TO
Plans
My friends and I are going to travel to the United States in three months.
Meus amigos e eu vamos viajar para os Estados Unidos em três meses.
Both examples convey the idea of plans already made at the moment of speaking.
They also imply that everything is set for the trip, since it is an event that has been
planned for some time.
We can also use be + going to to make a prediction based on present events.
In other words, there is evidence that this prediction is quite probable to happen.
Look at this dialogue:
BE + GOING TO
Prediction Based on Evidence
John: Deal.
Fechado.
Based on the evidence that the sky is too cloudy, John made a prediction that it
is going to rain, so he used be + going to.
We can also predict that something will happen based on previous knowledge
or experience, not necessarily because of physical evidence, but because it is a
common or frequent situation. For example, the prices of electronics tend to drop
on Black Friday, so we can make a prediction based on that. Check it out:
BE + GOING TO
Prediction Based on Experience
Once again, we are using the structure be + going to to emphasize that this
prediction is quite probable.
Another way to refer to the future is by using will. This is the most natural way to
talk about future events. Will and be + going to differ in structure and use. Let’s
start with the structure:
WILL
Affirmative Form
WILL
Negative Form
All we have got to do is place not right after will, or we can use won’t, which is
the contraction of will + not. The contracted form won’t is more frequently used
in the oral language, and it is more informal.
Finally, the interrogative form:
WILL
Interrogative Form
In the interrogative form, we place will before the subject, then we add the main verb, and
then the complement.
When we use will to talk about future events, we convey the idea that we have just decided
to do something. That is the main difference in use when we compare will and be + going to.
Will expresses an immediate decision, not something we have been planning to do.
For example, let’s suppose a customer is at a store, really interested in a cell phone. Then a
salesperson approaches the customer to speak well about it. Let’s see:
WILL
Immediate Decision
Salesperson: It’s a great cell phone, and it comes with a one-year warranty.
Vendedor(a): É um ótimo celular, e ele vem com um ano de garantia.
In this context, it is clear that the customer’s decision was made immediately after
the salesperson spoke of the advantages of that product. It was not a plan to take
that specific cell phone.
Notice that the full form is used for emphasis.
We can also use will to talk about predictions. But when we compare it to be +
going to in this context, we see that there is a subtle difference between them.
When we use will to make a prediction, the idea we convey is that we believe
something will happen based on our opinion and point of view. So, back to the
dialogue, the salesperson can say something like this:
WILL
Prediction Based on Opinion
Salesperson: You’ll love this cell phone. You won’t regret it.
Vendedor(a): Você vai amar esse celular. Você não vai se arrepender.
We can see two predictions the salesperson makes: he or she believes the
customer will love the cell phone and will not regret it. It is the salesperson’s
opinion that it will happen.
As you can see, it is different from the idea conveyed by be + going to, which
emphasizes or highlights that there is real evidence to sustain that prediction.
And that means it is quite probable to happen.
It goes without saying that when it comes to the future, certainty is questionable,
and we can only express degrees of probability.
There are two modal verbs we can use to refer to probability. They are may and
might. They obey the same structure as any other modal verb. Check it out:
MODAL VERBS
May and Might
Affirmative Form
Subject + Modal Verb + Main Verb + Complement
Sujeito + Modal Verb + Verbo Principal + Complemento.
Negative Form
Subject + Modal Verb + Not + Main Verb + Complement
Sujeito + Modal Verb + Not + Verbo Principal + Complemento
Interrogative Form
Modal Verb + Subject + Main Verb + Complement
Modal Verb + Sujeito + Verbo Principal + Complemento
Salesperson: The power outlet here may be different from the one
used in your country.
Vendedor(a): A tomada daqui pode ser diferente da usada no seu país.
In this case, we are using may because there is a good chance the plug won’t fit
the power outlet in the customer’s country. So, in this case, an adaptor may be
necessary.
Let’s continue the dialogue:
Salesperson: We do, but I don’t know if we still have it. I might have
one left. I’ll look for it in the back.
Vendedor(a): Vendemos, mas eu não sei se ainda temos. Talvez / Pode
ser que eu ainda tenha um. Vou procurar nos fundos.
You might wanna compare prices before buying electronics in the United States.
É uma boa ideia comparar preços antes de comprar eletrônicos nos Estados Unidos.
GRAMMAR GUIDE
Part 5.
Grammar
A. Choose the most suitable idea conveyed by the sentences.
Activities
b) You might wanna compare prices before buying electronics in the United States.
É uma boa ideia comparar preços antes de comprar eletrônicos nos Estados Unidos.
( ) Plan
( ) Suggestion
e) My friends and I are going to travel to the United States in three months.
Meus amigos e eu vamos viajar para os Estados Unidos em três meses.
( ) Immediate decision
( ) Plan
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word(s) according to the translation.
e) I know we planned to go shopping today. But look at the sky; it’s really cloudy soon.
Eu sei que a gente tinha planejado ir às compras hoje. Mas olha o céu; está muito nublado. Vai chover
daqui a pouco.
Notes
Part 1.
Video Script In this chapter, we will learn some tips on the best moments to go shopping in the
U.S., as well as some words and sentences related to buying home appliances.
Now look at the script of: Shopping for appliances.
Lucas:
But you do have the chance to browse around some of the American
brands! Now, on the other hand, small household appliances like juicers,
or blenders, food processors, or small domestic robots… those might
very well be on your wish list.
Amy:
And you’ll have a lot of options to choose from: different brands, models,
and price ranges. If you do your research, you’ll find some really good
deals! So, here’s another piece of information that’ll help you save some
bucks. There are sales going on in the city all the time, all throughout the
year. But there are certain times of the year that seasonal items will go
on additional sales.
Lucas:
And it’s usually during or after holidays. National holidays and some
other special days are a really good time to go shopping. Like Black
Friday!
Amy:
Or Christmas! That’s another good one, where there are sales right
around then and in other countries too.
Lucas:
So, there are a lot of national holidays that are specific to the United
States that international travelers may not even know about. So, for
example, Martin Luther King Day falls on the 3rd Monday of January,
every year. And this is a really good holiday to get home décor and
clothing.
Amy:
If you’re looking for jewelry, February is your month!
Lucas:
Oh, yeah! So, Valentine’s day falls on February 14th, which means that,
from February 15th, all the way to the end of the month, you’re going to
get some really big deals on jewelry, up to half price on jewelry!
Amy:
If you’re looking for appliances, then your month is May! Memorial Day
falls on the last Monday of May, and it’s our holiday to celebrate our
fallen soldiers!
Lucas:
And this long, three-day weekend is an excellent time to get appliances!
Amy:
Although, to be honest, there are sales going on all the time. There’s so
much competition! So, pretty much whatever you’re looking for, there’s
going to be a deal somewhere if you just look for it!
Gregory:
It’s an appliance store.
Lucas:
So, do you often have international customers come in?
Gregory:
Yeah, we do, we do!
Lucas:
What tips might you have for them? For international customers?
Gregory:
I would say that if you’re looking to buy supplies of any type and you’re
an international customer, I would come in the fall or the spring. It’s
typically the time of the year when things are discounted.
Lucas:
Oh, really? So, you’re saying that the products are cheaper in the fall or
the spring?
Gregory:
It’s because in the winter, typically things are priced up for the holidays.
And then, in the summer, people are typically building things.
Lucas:
You know, we typically don’t! Because it’s hard to ship those things back.
You can sometimes get warranties on certain items for international
shipping, but it really just depends on the item.
Lucas:
Good to know! Cool! Thanks, Gregory!
Gregory:
Thanks!
Lucas:
Porém, você tem a oportunidade de dar uma olhada em marcas
americanas! Por outro lado, eletroportáteis como espremedores de fruta,
liquidificadores, processadores de comida, ou pequenos robôs, podem
estar na sua lista de desejos!
Amy:
Você terá muitas opções para escolher, faixas de preço, marcas e
modelos diferentes! Se você pesquisar bem, vai encontrar ótimas
promoções! Aqui vai mais um conselho que vai te ajudar a poupar
alguns dólares! Há promoções acontecendo a toda hora, durante o ano
todo! Mas em algumas épocas do ano alguns itens sazonais entram em
promoção!
Lucas:
Isso acontece geralmente durante ou após as festas de fim de ano.
Feriados nacionais e outras datas especiais são ótimas oportunidades
para negócios! Como a Black Friday!
Amy:
Ou o Natal! Essa é outra boa data, há sempre promoções nessa época,
assim como em outros países.
Lucas:
Existem vários feriados específicos aos Estados Unidos que os turistas
talvez não conheçam. Por exemplo, o Dia de Martin Luther King sempre
cai na terceira segunda de janeiro de todo ano. E esse é um ótimo
feriado para comprar objetos de decoração e roupas.
Amy:
Se você está procurando por joias, fevereiro é o seu mês!
Lucas:
Sim, o Dia de São Valentim é 14 de fevereiro, o que significa que, a
partir de 15 de fevereiro até o final do mês, você vai encontrar ótimas
promoções de joias. Algo como 50% de desconto!
Amy:
Se você está à procura de eletrodomésticos, maio é o melhor mês! O
Memorial Day cai na última segunda de maio, e é o feriado em que
celebramos nossos soldados mortos em guerras.
Lucas:
Esse feriado prolongado é uma época ótima para comprar
eletrodomésticos!
Amy:
Mas sendo bem honesta, existem promoções durante o ano todo, a toda
hora. É um mercado competitivo! Qualquer que seja o artigo que você
procura, deve haver alguma promoção. É só procurar bem!
[Entrevistando um vendedor]
Lucas:
Pessoal, este é o Gregory; em que tipo de loja você trabalha?
Gregory:
Em uma loja de eletrodomésticos.
Lucas:
Você recebe turistas com frequência?
Gregory:
Sim, recebemos!
Lucas:
Que dicas você tem para eles? Para clientes estrangeiros...
Gregory:
Eu aconselharia que, se você quer comprar eletrodomésticos de
qualquer tipo e você é um cliente estrangeiro, venha no outono ou
na primavera. É normalmente a época do ano em que temos mais
descontos.
Lucas:
É mesmo? Você está dizendo que os produtos são mais baratos no
outono e na primavera?
Gregory:
É porque, durante o inverno, os preços são mais altos por causa das
festas de fim de ano. E durante o verão há muitas pessoas fazendo
reformas.
Lucas:
E você não... Eu não sei ao certo, mas é normal ver turistas comprando
eletrodomésticos maiores?
Gregory:
Normalmente não, porque é difícil despachar esses artigos. Às vezes
você consegue garantias internacionais para alguns artigos, mas isso
depende muito do produto.
Lucas:
Legal, bom saber! Obrigado, Gregory!
Gregory:
Obrigado!
Part 2.
Vocabulary National holidays affect the prices of products in the United States:
Martin Luther King Day is one of the most important American national holidays:
People exchange gifts, cards, and flowers, and they often propose
to their sweethearts. As a consequence:
From February 15th to the end of the month, jewelry is sold for lower prices.
De 15 de fevereiro até o fim do mês, as joias são vendidas por preços mais baixos.
Two holidays are considered the best ones for shopping for electronics and appliances.
The first one is Memorial Day:
If you want to buy TVs and laptops, Memorial Day sales will be the best choice for you.
Se quiser comprar TVs e notebooks, o Memorial Day vai ser a melhor opção para você.
If you want to buy video games and small appliances, you’ll find good deals on Black Friday.
Se você quiser comprar vídeogames e eletroportáteis, você vai achar boas ofertas na Black Friday.
As for small appliances, in the U.S it is possible to find a lot of options, such as:
SMALL APPLIANCES
And there are great options of large appliances too. Let’s check out some of them:
L ARGE APPLIANCES
The voltage in the U.S. is different from the one in many other countries:
To learn about the voltage, you can ask one of these questions:
Part 3.
Vocabulary
A. Number the columns according to the translation of the words.
Activities
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word(s) according to the translation.
c) So, from February 15th to the end of the month, is sold for lower prices.
Então, de 15 de fevereiro até o fim do mês, as joias são vendidas por preços mais baixos.
d) If you want to buy video games and , you’ll find good deals on Black Friday.
Se você quiser comprar vídeogames e eletroportáteis, você vai achar boas ofertas na Black Friday.
9 / 11 / 7 / 3 / 10 / 6
2/ 8 / 5 / 12 / 1 / 4 /
Activity A – Answers
Part 4.
Grammar
In this chapter, we are going to talk about conditionals, the modal verb would,
the simple past, and regular and irregular Verbs.
Conditionals are sentences that mention known facts or hypothetical situations
and their consequences. There is more than one kind of conditional sentences.
Let’s start with the zero conditional. It is used to talk about facts, for it expresses
the idea that a situation repeatedly happens the same way. For example:
ZERO CONDITIONAL
ZERO CONDITIONAL
The zero conditional does not imply a relationship marked at a specific time
in the past, present, or future. It expresses a relationship of cause and
consequence that is always the same, no matter when it happens. Thus, it can
also be called real conditional.
So, the basic structure is:
But the first conditional is a bit different. We use it to talk about a result or
consequence of an imaginary but possible situation.
Suppose you are going to travel to the U.S. soon, so you are thinking about all the
shopping you are going to do there. You can say:
FIRST CONDITIONAL
Here, there is a condition starting with If, and even though it is something you are only
imagining, it is totally possible to happen. You can save some money until the day you leave so
you will be able to afford the appliances you want.
The consequence of having the money will be to buy some small appliances. The imaginary
condition is in the simple present and the result is in the future, so we use will to indicate it.
The first conditional follows a basic structure:
FIRST CONDITIONAL
Use: the relationship of cause and consequence is imaginary, but possible to happen.
Uso: a relação de causa e consequência é imaginária, mas possível de acontecer.
The condition is in the simple present, introduced by If, and the consequence is in the future, expressed
with will. Let’s see some examples:
FIRST CONDITIONAL
If you want to buy TVs and laptops, Memorial Day sales will be the best choice for you.
Se quiser comprar TVs e notebooks, o Memorial Day vai ser a melhor opção para você.
If you want to buy video games and small appliances, you’ll find good deals on Black Friday.
Se você quiser comprar vídeogames e eletroportáteis, você vai achar boas ofertas na Black Friday.
In both sentences, we introduced the condition using If, conjugated the verb in
the simple present, and the consequence was formed with will. Both state an
imaginary situation that is possible to happen.
Now, let’s see another relationship of condition and consequence that is also
imaginary, but, this time, not possible to happen: the second conditional.
In this case, both the condition and the consequence are hypothetical. To
express that, the condition is in the simple past, and the consequence is
formed with the modal verb would. This is the basic structure:
SE COND CONDITIONAL
But before we continue, let’s understand the verb forms involved in the
formation of the second conditional.
Let’s start with the simple past of the verb to be. As usual, the verb To Be has its
own rules. Check out the affirmative form:
As you can see, there are only two possible conjugations: was or were.
The affirmative form does not admit contractions.
Now, observe the negative form:
To form the negative, we add not right after the verb. It admits contractions only
between the verb and the particle not.
Now, take a look at the interrogative form:
Observe that, to form the interrogative, we invert the verb and the subject,
following the same logic as in the simple present of the verb to be. Have a look at
an example:
Joe was at the store to buy new appliances because they were on sale.
O Joe estava na loja para comprar novos eletrodomésticos porque eles
estavam em promoção.
Here, we have Joe as the subject, which is equivalent to he, so we used was.
There is yet another subject in this sentence: they. It refers to new appliances.
Therefore, the verb to be was conjugated as were.
For the simple past of the other verbs, we will follow the same logic as the
simple present for the other verbs.
Let’s see the general structure of the simple past. First, the affirmative form:
For example:
You know that verbs in the past are divided into two groups: regular verbs, to which we add
-ed, -ied, or -d, depending on the base form. And irregular verbs, which don’t follow a pattern,
so each verb has its own past form.
In the example, we have the verb to like, which is regular. So, we used liked.
Let’s see an example with an irregular verb now:
Subject + Auxiliary Verb Did + Not (Didn’t) + Main Verb (Base Form) + Complement
Sujeito + Verbo Auxiliar Did + Not (Didn’t) + Verbo Principal na Forma Base + Complemento
Just like with the simple present, we need an auxiliary verb here. In the simple
past, the auxiliary verb is did, which is the verb do in the past. Then, after the
auxiliary did, we add not. And there is also the contracted form didn’t.
And, once again, just like the simple present, when we use the auxiliary verb,
the main verb remains in its base form. Check out this example:
Joe didn’t have enough money to buy both the blender and the juicer.
O Joe não tinha dinheiro o suficiente para comprar o liquidificador e o
espremedor de frutas.
Notice that we used didn’t and the verb have in its base form.
Finally, the interrogative form:
As you can see, the auxiliary verb did is placed before the subject.
Look at the example:
Notice that we started the sentence with the auxiliary verb did; then we added
Joe as the subject; then, the verb buy in its base form.
Bear in mind that the simple past will be necessary to form the second
conditional, which is the main focus here. Besides that, as you already know, we
will also need the modal verb would.
The basic structure we use for would follows the same rules as every modal
verb. Let’s see:
WOULD
Affirmative Form
Subject + Would + Main Verb + Complement
Sujeito + Would + Verbo Principal + Complemento
Negative Form
Subject + Would + Not (Wouldn’t) + Main Verb + Complement
Sujeito + Would + Not (Wouldn’t) + Verbo Principal + Complemento
Interrogative Form
Would + Subject + Main Verb + Complement
Would + Sujeito + Verbo Principal + Complemento
As a modal verb, would accompanies the main verb, altering the tone of the sentence. Would
conveys an idea of hypothesis to the verb. We use would to talk about things that we wanted to
happen, but that are not really possible.
Now that we have learned the verb forms we needed, let’s see how the second conditional works.
In the previous examples, we referred to Joe. He wanted to buy two appliances but ended up
taking just one. When he got to the checkout, he may have thought:
SE COND CONDITIONAL
If I had more money, I would buy the blender and the juicer
Se eu tivesse mais dinheiro, eu compraria o liquidificador e o espremedor de frutas.
Here, if introduces the condition expressed in the simple past. That means that Joe, in fact,
doesn’t have more money. And if this condition is imaginary, the result can only be imaginary
too. It is just a hypothesis. That’s why we use would to refer to the consequence. Buying two
appliances can only happen in Joe’s imagination.
So, in short, this sentence expresses a situation that is imaginary but impossible.
There is just one little detail about the second conditional—when we express an imaginary
condition using the verb to be, there is a change in the conjugation.
As you know, the conjugation of the verb to be can be either was or were. But in this case,
we will only use were. You can even hear some people saying was, but it is not grammatically
correct. Let’s see an example:
SE COND CONDITIONAL
Conditionals are very much used in everyday English. The most important thing
is to understand the idea each one of them conveys and to use the correct verb
form to express that.
GRAMMAR GUIDE
Part 5.
Grammar
A. Choose the most suitable idea conveyed by the sentences.
Activities
c) If I had more money, I would buy the blender and the juicer.
Se eu tivesse mais dinheiro, eu compraria o liquidificador e o espremedor de frutas.
( 1 ) Result or consequence of an imaginary but possible situation.
( 2 ) Hypothetical situation that is only possible in one’s imagination.
e) If you want to buy video games and small appliances, you’ll find good deals on Black Friday.
Meus amigos e eu vamos viajar para os Estados Unidos em três meses.
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word(s) according to the translation.
d. bought
f. were
c) If you to buy video games and small appliances,
you’ll find good deals on Black Friday.
Activity B – Answers
Se você quiser comprar vídeogames e eletroportáteis, você vai achar boas
a. melts
c.want
d) Joe only the blender.
Joe comprou só o liquidificador.
Activity A – Answers
d. 1
e. 2
e) If I had more money, I the blender and the juicer.
f. 1
Se eu tivesse mais dinheiro, eu compraria o liquidificador e o espremedor de
frutas.
b. 1
a. 2
c. 2
f) If I Joe, I would save money before going shopping.
Se eu fosse o Joe, eu economizaria dinheiro antes de ir às compras.
Notes
Part 1.
Video Script In this chapter, we will learn some words and sentences related to shopping
online, as well as some language items to help you improve your English skills.
Now look at the script of: Online shopping.
ONLINE SHOPPING
Lucas:
So, in the U.S., you can buy online pretty much anything that you can
buy in a physical store. I mean, you can get gadgets, appliances, clothes,
even groceries.
Amy:
And like everything else in life, there are pros and cons. Online, you can
price compare between a dozen stores in minutes, versus taking hours
driving around brick and mortar stores.
Lucas:
And you know what? The other thing is that online, you have a lot more
options. But a brick and mortar store is going to be limited by space, so
they’re not going to have as much stock.
Amy:
Speaking of cons, when you do shop online, you don’t get to try things
on.
Lucas:
That is true, but chances are you’re going to find any brand or model
that you’re looking for, and at a good price, even with the shipping fees
included.
Amy:
But also, if shopping online, especially if you’re an international visitor,
you have to pay attention to shipping times. Because you need to make
sure that your item can be delivered during your stay in the U.S.
Lucas:
That’s true, and if you’re staying at a hotel, you need to make sure that
the hotel knows that you’re expecting a package to be delivered. And
chances are, your hotel is going to charge you a package delivery fee,
which could be a lot sometimes. So, make sure that you’re double-
checking with the hotel’s package delivery guidelines first.
COMPRANDO ON-LINE
Lucas:
Nos EUA você pode comprar on-line praticamente qualquer coisa que
você pode comprar em uma loja física. Eletros, roupas, até mesmo
alimentos.
Amy:
E como tudo na vida, há prós e contras. On-line, você pode comparar
preços entre dezenas de lojas em minutos, em vez de gastar horas
percorrendo lojas físicas.
Lucas:
Além disso, outra coisa é que on-line você tem muito mais opções. Uma
loja física é limitada por seu espaço, logo, não terão um estoque grande.
Amy:
Falando em pontos negativos, quando você compra on-line, não tem
como você provar as coisas.
Lucas:
Isso é verdade, mas as chances são de você achar qualquer marca e
modelo que procura, com um bom preço, até mesmo incluindo o valor do
frete.
Amy:
Mas ao comprar on-line, principalmente se você for um visitante
internacional, você tem que prestar atenção aos prazos de entrega. Você
precisa ter certeza de que sua encomenda será entregue durante sua
estadia nos EUA.
Lucas:
É verdade, e se você estiver hospedado em um hotel, você precisa
garantir que o hotel saiba que você está esperando a entrega de
um pacote. E provavelmente, seu hotel irá lhe cobrar uma taxa de
recebimento, o que, às vezes, pode sair caro. Então não esqueça de
verificar a política de entrega do hotel previamente.
Part 2.
Vocabulary
Online shopping is very practical, but it is relatively new:
Everything has its pros and cons. Let’s see some advantages or upsides of shopping online:
You save time, since you can compare prices, products, and stores in minutes.
Você ganha tempo, já que pode comparar preços, produtos e lojas em minutos.
There will be a lot more options online, since a store is limited by physical space.
Vai haver muito mais opções on-line, uma vez que a loja é limitada pelo espaço físico.
You have to check the exchange rates, since the purchase will be in dollars.
Você tem que verificar as taxas de câmbio, uma vez que a compra será em dólares.
If you buy something that is supposed to be delivered during the time you will be
abroad, you should consider the following:
Make sure it won’t be delivered after you have left and consider possible delays.
Certifique-se de que o produto não será entregue depois que você já tiver ido embora, e
considere possíveis atrasos.
Buy beforehand and compare the delivery dates with your trip’s so that the product
will have already been delivered when you arrive.
Compre com antecedência e compare as datas de entrega com as da sua viagem para
que o produto já tenha sido entregue quando você chegar.
In case you want to receive your delivery at the hotel you are staying,
here is what you should do:
Tell the hotel you’re expecting a package, or they won’t receive it.
Avise ao hotel que você está esperando um pacote, ou eles não vão recebê-lo.
T YPES OF SALES
This is what you should do in order to have a better experience when shopping online:
After setting your filters, you’ll see the options that have the characteristics you’ve marked.
Depois que marcar seus filtros, você verá as opções que têm as características que você marcou.
By clicking on the product, you can see its description with details provided by the manufacturer.
Ao clicar no produto, você pode ver sua descrição com detalhes fornecidos pelo fabricante.
Since you can’t try on the items before you buy them, you can read what other
customers have to say to help you decide on your purchase:
And now, let’s look at the final steps of your online purchase:
Don’t forget to check the shipping time to see if it fits your planning.
Não se esqueça de verificar o tempo de envio para ver se está de acordo
com os seus planos.
Part 3.
Vocabulary
A. Number the columns according to the translation of the words.
Activities
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word(s) according to the translation.
a) When you are looking for a product, they’ll show you some to do your research.
Quando você estiver procurando um produto, eles vão te mostrar filtros para você pesquisar.
c) There will be a lot more options online, since a store is limited by space.
Vai haver muito mais opções on-line, uma vez que a loja é limitada pelo espaço físico.
f. cart
e. package b. Online shopping 2 / 11 / 3 / 9 / 12 / 7
d. shipping a. filters 5/ 6 / 10 / 1 / 4 / 8 /
c. physical Activity B – Answers Activity A – Answers
Part 4.
Grammar
In this chapter, we are going to talk about the imperative form, the passive
voice, and verbs in the past participle.
Let’s start with the imperative. We can use it to give instructions, advice,
orders, and tips. Have a look at the example:
IMPERATIVE
As you can see, the sentence starts with the verb check, without a subject before
it. In fact, there is a subject, you, but it is implicit, omitted. It happens because,
when we use the imperative, we are always talking directly to the person who is
supposed to do the action.
Let’s see the general structures for the imperative. In the affirmative form,
we will have:
IMPERATIVE
Affirmative Form
Go.
Vá.
IMPERATIVE
Negative Form
Notice that we just place don’t before the main verb. It is the same auxiliary
verb we use in the negative form of the simple present. And once again, we can
see that the complement may or not be used. Look at the next example:
IMPERATIVE
Negative Form
Don’t go.
Não vá.
No complement is needed here. We only use the verb to send the message.
Look at this one now:
IMPERATIVE
Negative Form
PASSIVE VOICE
The sentence is in the simple present. We know it due to the verb to be, is.
But if Valentine’s Day is celebrated on that specific day, it is obvious that someone celebrates
it. This sentence doesn’t mention this piece of information, though, because it is not important.
In this context, knowing what is celebrated and when is more important than learning who
celebrates it.
But we can mention the doer of the action without emphasizing it. Let’s see how we do it:
PASSIVE VOICE
As you can see, we just add the preposition by followed by the agent of the
passive, in this case, the Americans. The agent of the passive indicates the one
who performs the action. So now we know who celebrates Valentine’s Day
because we have the agent of the passive at the end of the sentence.
Now that we understand what the passive voice is used for, let’s see how it is
built. To do so, we must start with the structure of the active voice. Look:
ACTIVE VOICE
Notice that the active voice is the sentence structured in a way that the subject or
the doer of the action is clearly mentioned.
As for the complement, it may be:
ACTIVE VOICE
ACTIVE VOICE
As we’ve already seen, the basic structure of the active voice is subject + verb + complement.
Americans is the subject of the sentence, and it is followed by the verb celebrate, which is in the simple
present; in the complement, we have the object of the verb. This is very important, because a sentence can
only be turned into the passive voice if it has a subject and an object.
Sometimes the complement will have an adverb of place, which shows where the action happened, or an
adverb of time, which shows when the action happened.
Bear in mind that this structure may vary a little. This is just an example of the basic structure
to form many sentences in the active voice in English.
Now let’s see what happens when we turn this sentence into the passive voice. Check it out:
So, the object of the verb in the active voice becomes the subject in the passive voice.
Then we add the verb to be in the same verb form as the main verb in the active voice. The main verb in
the active voice is celebrate, conjugated in the simple present; so, we conjugate the verb to be in the simple
present as well. Here, it will be is.
The next step is to change the main verb in the active voice to the past participle. If it is a regular verb, it
will have the same form as the simple past. But if it is an irregular verb, it will depend on the verb. Celebrate
is regular, so it becomes celebrated.
Finally, we place the adverb of time, on February 14th. The sentence may finish there.
If you want, you can add the agent of the passive, which is the subject in the
active voice, introduced by the preposition by, in this case, by the Americans.
But, remember, this is optional information.
Let’s see other examples with the main verb in other verb forms. Look:
ACTIVE VOICE
(Simple Past)
The object in the active voice becomes the subject, so we have The salespeople.
Then we add the verb to be in the same verb form as the main verb. In this case,
trained is in the simple past. So, the verb to be becomes were, because The
salespeople is equivalent to they.
The next step is to change the main verb to the past participle, trained. And the
rest is the complement.
Another example:
ACTIVE VOICE
The object in the active voice becomes the subject, so we have Many kinds of sales.
Then we must add the verb to be in the same verb form as the main verb. The main verb in
this case is offer, and it is in the future with will; so, the verb to be has to be conjugated in the
future: will be.
Next, we change the main verb, offer, to the past participle, offered. The agent of the
passive, the stores, is optional. We will include it whenever it is important to mention who is
performing the action.
Look at this next one now:
The stores are warning the customers to mind their belongings at all times.
subject main verb object
(Present Continuous)
As lojas estão avisando aos clientes para cuidarem dos seus pertences o tempo todo.
Customers, which is the object of the verb in the active voice, becomes the subject of the
passive voice.
Then we use the verb to be in the present continuous because the main verb in the active
voice, warn, is in the present continuous. But the verb to be is used twice in this case: first, as
the auxiliary verb in the present, is; second, as the main verb in the -ING form, being.
Next, the main verb of the active voice in the past participle, warned.
One last example:
The subject now will be international warranty, followed by might not be, since
the main verb in the active voice is might not offer. Then we add the main verb
in the past participle, offered.
In this chapter, we’ve seen the imperative, the passive voice, and verbs
in the past participle. If you want to learn more about these topics,
look at the Grammar Guide section at the end of your book.
GRAMMAR GUIDE
Part 5.
Grammar Activities
A. Write AV if the sentence is in the active voice, and PV if it’s in the passive voice.
e) The stores are warning the customers to mind their belongings at all times. ( )
As lojas estão avisando aos clientes para cuidarem dos seus pertences o tempo todo.
B. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word(s) according to the translation.
Notes
Guide
Grammar
GuideAdverbs of Frequency
Adverbs are words used to modify a verb, an adjective, another adverb, phrases,
or sentences. They answer questions such as where, when, for how long, how
likely, or to what degree, and are classified as adverbs of manner, place, time,
frequency, certainty, and degree.
Adverbs of frequency are the ones used to express how often we do things.
Take a look at the most common ones.
100% Always
Sempre
Usually/Typically
Geralmente
Often
Frequentemente
Sometimes
Às vezes / Algumas vezes
0% Never
Nunca
190
Adverbs of Frequency
Regarding the structure, the general rule is that the adverb comes before the main verb.
However, there are exceptions to the general rule. When the verb
to be is the main verb in the simple present or the simple past, the
adverb is placed after the verb to be.
Pay attention to this. When the verb to be is an auxiliary verb, the position follows
the general rule and the adverb is placed before the main verb.
191
Adverbs of Frequency
Another exception is the adverb sometimes. This adverb can be placed before the subject,
before the main verb, or after the main verb.
Besides the most common adverbs we’ve seen, there are some that express a definite frequency and
are most of the time placed at the end of the sentence. These adverbs usually bring us information about
scheduled and planned events.
192
Adverbs of Frequency
Check the use of adverbial phrases in the context. In terms of structure, notice that the
words combined are phrases because they form a unit that has a particular function in the
sentence. These phrases refer to the verbs to show us how often things happen. As they add
information to verbs, they are called adverbial phrases of frequency.
Some expressions are also used tell us how often things happen.
EXPRESSIONS
Now you know what an adverb is, as well as when and how we use adverbs of frequency and
adverbial phrases to say how often we do things or how often things happen.
193
Grammar
GuideGoing To (Future)
Be +
The structure be + going to is often used to refer to the future.
When the structure be + going to refers to the future, the verb to be is used in
the simple present followed by going to and a verb in its base form.
We use be + going to when we want to talk about future events or actions that were planned
beforehand. That is, when we use this structure, we may want to emphasize the fact that we
have been planning this future event.
BE + GOING TO
BE + GOING TO
It’s the second time you arrive late. You are going to get into serious trouble.
É a segunda vez que você chega atrasado. Você vai ter sérios problemas.
(From the speaker’s knowledge of the facts, arriving late again is
evidence that you are getting into trouble.)
BE + GOING TO
You are going to wash your hand before you sit at the table.
Você vai lavar a mão antes de se sentar à mesa.
(You are telling what the person has to do, emphasizing the person has to
wash their hands first).
You are not going to play until you finish your homework.
Você não vai brincar até terminar a sua lição de casa.
(You are saying what is not going to happen—play—if something isn’t done
before—the homework.)
BE + GOING TO
There are some reasons why asking this question with will sounds more natural
and more appropriate than with going to.
First, the modal verb will convey an idea of willingness, that is, something
you want to do or want it to happen.
Primeiro, o modal verb will traz uma ideia de vontade, ou seja, algo que você
quer fazer ou quer que aconteça.
Second, John expects Julia to make an instant decision. That is, John may
have planned to propose to Julia, but Julia is listening to that for the first
time, and she’s expected to make a decision about that future event at the
moment of the conversation.
Segundo, o John espera que a Julia tome uma decisão imediata. Ou seja, o
John pode ter planejado pedir a Julia em casamento, mas a Julia está ouvindo
a proposta pela primeira vez, e espera-se que ela tome uma decisão sobre
esse evento futuro no momento da conversa.
Now you know more about the structure be + going to, its uses, and some
differences between will and be + going to.
CONDITIONALS
There are four types of conditional sentences. Each type of conditional expresses
a degree of probability for a situation to happen. We call them zero conditional,
first conditional, second conditional, and third conditional.
Zero conditionals are used to talk about general truths, which means one thing
will always cause a specific consequence. The verb form used in both clauses is
the simple present.
ZERO CONDITIONAL
General Truths
The first conditional is used when the result is likely to happen. In this conditional, we use the if-clause in
the simple present and the main clause with will or another modal verb used to express future ideas.
FIRST CONDITIONAL
Likely future results
If you study, you will do well on the exam. If you study, you may do well on the exam.
Se você estudar, você se sairá bem na prova. Se você estudar, você pode se sair bem na prova.
(A future situation we believe to be possible). Se você estudar, pode ser que se saia bem na prova.
(You are likely to reach the outcome).
If you go on a diet, you’ll lose weight. If you go on a diet, you can lose weight.
Se você fizer uma dieta, perderá peso. Se você fizer uma dieta, você pode perder peso.
(A future situation we believe to be possible). (If you fulfil the condition, it’s a possible future).
SE COND CONDITIONAL
Unrealistic Consequence
The third conditional is used to say that if something had happened in the past, the present
would be different. These sentences express a condition that was likely to happen, but it
didn’t, and it might imply an idea of regret.
In this conditional, the if-clause is in the past perfect and the main clause is formed by a
modal verb that expresses past probability or hypothetical situations in the past, such as
could, should, and would + have + the main verb in the past participle.
THIRD CONDITIONAL
A condition that was likely to happen, but didn’t
If you had told me you needed help, I could have helped you.
Se você tivesse me dito que precisava de ajuda, eu poderia ter lhe ajudado.
If you had left home earlier, you would have arrived on time.
Se você tivesse saído de casa mais cedo, teria chegado no horário.
Now you know what a conditional is and the most common types of
conditionals as well as the structures and use.
CONTRACTIONS OF VERBS
Present
I’m I’ve
(I + am) (I + Have)
He’s/She’s/It’s He’s/She’s/It’s
(He + is / She + is / It + is) (He + has / She + has / It + has)
The verb to be in the present can be contracted with pronouns or nouns either
when it’s the main verb of a sentence or the auxiliary.
I’m happy for you. I’m going to tell mom the good news.
Estou feliz por você. Eu vou contar para a mamãe as boas notícias.
(I’m = Pronoun + Verb To Be) (I’m = Pronoun + Verb To Be)
For all other verbs that are not the verb to be in the present, the pronouns and
nouns will only be contracted with auxiliary verbs.
Once again, two different verbs will have the same contracted form—the verb
to have as an auxiliary verb in its past form had and the modal verb would. Both
verbs are contracted as ’d.
CONTRACTIONS
Nouns/Pronouns + Auxiliary Verbs
In negative statements, auxiliary verbs can also be contracted with the negative
particle not.
Basically, all auxiliary verbs in English can contract with not; the only exception is the
first person singular of the verb to be in the simple present, am, which does not.
CONTRACTIONS
Auxiliaries in negative sentences
Auxiliary Verbs
Modal Auxiliaries
isn’t is + not
aren’t are + not
won’t will + not
wasn’t was + not
can’t can + not
weren’t were + not
couldn’t could + not
don’t do + not
shouldn’t should + not
doesn’t does + not
mustn’t must + not
didn’t did + not
wouldn’t would + not
haven’t have + not
won’t will + not
hasn’t has + not
hadn’t had + not
CONTRACTIONS
Questions Words / Here / There
What’s up?
E aí?
(The question word “what” + the verb “is” = What’s)
There’s a problem.
Há um problema.
(There + the verb “is” = There’s)
There are some special cases with the verbs to go, to want, and to get. Some forms of these verbs can
contract with the preposition to. It is mostly a feature of spoken language, and it is considered very informal.
CONTRACTIONS OF VERBS
Other Verbs – Special Cases
I’m gonna talk to her. I wanna be rich. You gotta believe me.
I’m going to talk to her. I want to be rich. You (have) got to believe me.
Eu vou falar com ela. Eu quero ser rico. Você tem que acreditar em mim.
IMPERATIVE FORM
Structure
Affirmative Form
Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement
Go there.
Vá lá.
Negative Form
Auxiliary Verb Do + Not (Don’t) + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement
In English, the imperative performs many functions. It can be used to give orders
or to demand something, to instruct, to give advice or recommendation, or to
encourage someone.
IMPERATIVE FORM
Functions
1. Order; demand
2. Instructions
Mix the ingredients and add salt. Don’t put too much salt.
Misture os ingredientes e adicione sal. Não coloque muito sal.
Have a cup of tea and rest. Don’t forget to take your coat.
Tome uma xícara de chá e descanse. Não se esqueça de levar seu casaco.
4. Requests; favors
5. Encouragement
Try again! You can do it. Don’t give up. You can do it.
Tente novamente! Você consegue. Não desista. Você consegue.
Imperative sentences are always addressed to the listener or listeners. So, the subject is always
in the second person, which is “you,” in the singular or plural forms. For that reason, in most
imperative sentences, the subject is omitted.
However, the subject can be included in imperative sentences to add emphasis to the action. In
such cases, it will be placed before the main verb, in both affirmative and negative sentences.
IMPERATIVE FORM
Using the Subject to Add Emphasis
Affirmative Form
Subject (second person) + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement
Negative Form
Auxiliary Verb Do + Not (Don’t) + Subject (second person) +
Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement
INDEFINITE ARTICLE
Making Suggestions or Requests in the First Person
Let me see.
Deixe-me ver.
We can use the same structure to make suggestions or requests for a third person.
To do that, we just have to use the object pronouns in the third person.
IMPERATIVE FORM
Making Suggestions or Requests for a Third Person
Let it go.
Deixe isso para lá.
PRONOUNS
Specific
Refer to definite people, things, or places.
Se referem a pessoas, coisas ou lugares definidos.
Generic / Non-specific
Do not refer to a specific person, thing, or place. They are either generic or indefinite.
Não se referem a uma pessoa, coisa ou lugar específicos. Eles são genéricos ou indefinidos.
The pronoun it, for example, may refer to a specific thing, animal, or place, but it can also have a
non-specific use when it does not refer to a person, or thing, or to any other part of the sentence.
In such cases, the pronoun it is often referred to as impersonal. Check some examples.
PRONOUN – IT
Specific and Generic Uses
Specific
Other pronouns such as you, they, he, or she can also have generic uses when
they refer to people in general. Check some examples so you can understand
it better.
Specific
Generic
PRONOUN – YOU
Specific and Generic Uses
Specific
Mark, you haven’t been studying hard enough. If you want to pass, you must study.
Mark, você não tem estudado o bastante. Se você quer passar, tem que estudar.
(you = Mark)
Non-specific
Everyone knows that graduating from college takes time and effort.
If you want to pass, you must study.
Todo mundo sabe que para se formar na faculdade é preciso tempo e esforço.
Se você quer passar, tem que estudar.
(you = anyone who wants to pass)
To refer to the singular, we can also use the pronoun one. One is used to talk
about people in general, and it can be replaced by the pronoun you with generic
meaning.
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
People Things
Somebody/Someone Something
Alguém Alguma coisa
Anybody/Anyone Anything
Qualquer pessoa Qualquer coisa
Everybody/Everyone Everything
Todo mundo Tudo
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
No one should ever die of starvation. Can someone tell me the truth?
Nobody should ever die of starvation Can somebody tell me the truth?
Ninguém deveria morrer de fome. Alguém pode me dizer a verdade?
(No one / Nobody = Not even one person) (Someone/Somebody = an unspecified
person, some person)
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
And this how you use pronouns in specific and generic ways.
Another group of irregular verbs will change the stressed vowel in their past forms.
RE GUL AR VERBS
Change the Stressed Vowel
Another group of irregular verbs will be altered in order to have the final syllable of their past
forms sounding as a D. Among the most frequent verbs, we can highlight three.
These widely used verbs are: to have, in the past had, to make, in the past made, and to say,
in the past said (in this case we dropped the -Y and added –ID).
RE GUL AR VERBS
Change the Stressed Vowel
There are three very frequent verbs in English that do not fit any of the aforementioned groups,
which are the verbs to be, to go, and to do.
The verb to be is the most irregular verb in English. In the past, it is the only verb to have two
different conjugations: was and were. Look at the conjugation table of the verb to be in the past.
I’ve seen so many beautiful places. I couldn’t have chosen just one to write about.
Eu vi muitos lugares bonitos. Eu não poderia ter escolhido escrever sobre apenas um.
(“seen” = past participle of “to see;” “chosen” = past participle of “to choose”)
If you want to learn more about the perfect forms or the passive voice, check the grammar
guides on these topics. They both use the past participle, and that’s why it’s important to focus
on this topic.
The same rule applies for the verbs to mean, to read and to hear, for example.
In the same group we’ll find the verbs to find, to bring, and to think, which will have
the same form in the past and in the past participle.
Verbs ending in -ELL change to -OLD and keep the same form in the
past and past participle.
There is a group of verbs that do not change their base forms in the past.
This group will also keep the same form in the past participle.
Another group of verbs will undergo some changes in their past forms, but their past
participle forms are spelled and pronounced just as their base forms.
For some others, we’ll add -N or -EN to the base form to make the past participle,
and they may change the pronunciation of the stressed vowel.
The highly frequent verbs to be, to do, and to go also have different forms.
Check it on the table.
Notice that there are two different past forms for the verb to be, but there
is only one for the past participle, which is been.
Be Was/Were Been
Ser, estar
Do Did Done
Fazer
Go Went Gone
Ir
And now you know the past participle of irregular verbs, when to use it,
as well as how to use it in the active and passive voices.
MODAL VERBS
Sentence Structure
Affirmative Form
Subject + Modal Verb + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement (if necessary)
Sujeito + Modal Verb + Verbo Principal na Forma Base + Complemento (se necessário)
Negative Form
Subject + Modal Verb + Not + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement (if necessary)
Sujeito + Modal Verb + Not + Verbo Principal na Forma Base + Complemento (se necessário)
Interrogative Form
Modal Verb + Subject + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement (if necessary)
Modal Verb + Sujeito + Verbo Principal na Forma Base + Complemento (se necessário)
It may rain.
Pode chover. / Pode ser que chova.
(There is a reasonable chance that it will rain).
The modal verb may can also be used to say that there
is a chance that something does not happen.
In this case, we use it in the negative form. Take a look:
I may not be the best student in class, but I’m very dedicated.
Eu posso não ser o melhor aluno da turma, mas eu sou muito dedicado.
Be careful with the pieces of news you read on social media. They may not be true.
Tenha cuidado com notícias que você lê nas redes sociais. Elas podem não ser verdadeiras.
When we ask for permission, the interrogative form can only be used in the first person.
However, when we answer these permission requests, that is, when we give permission or not, we will use
the affirmative or the negative forms in the second person. Have a look:
Asking for permission: Excuse me, Ms. Sullivan. May I come in?
Com licença, senhora Sullivan. Eu posso entrar?
Giving permission, or not: Yes, you may come in. / No, you may not come in.
Sim, você pode entrar. / Não, você não pode entrar.
And now you know how to use the modal verb may.
MODAL VERB
Structure
Affirmative
Subject + Modal Verb + Main Verb (Base Form) +
Complement (if necessary)
Negative
Subject + Modal Verb + NOT + Main Verb (Base Form) +
Complement (if necessary)
Interrogative
Modal Verb + Subject + Main Verb (Base Form) +
Complement (if necessary)
Now you know what a modal verb is, the structures you’ll use with them, and
when and how to use the modal verb might.
MODAL VERBS
Sentence Structure
Affirmative Form
Subject + Modal Verb + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement (if necessary)
Sujeito + Modal Verb + Verbo Principal na Forma Base + Complemento (se necessário)
Negative Form
Subject + Modal Verb + Not + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement (if necessary)
Sujeito + Modal Verb + Not + Verbo Principal na Forma Base + Complemento (se necessário)
Interrogative Form
Modal Verb + Subject + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement (if necessary)
Modal Verb + Sujeito + Verbo Principal na Forma Base + Complemento (se necessário)
Depending on the context, sentences with the modal verb should can be understood
as a polite way to talk about obligations and duties. Have a look at some examples:
You should clean your room. People should respect other people’s choices.
Você deve limpar o seu quarto. As pessoas devem respeitar as escolhas de outras pessoas.
(It’s your responsibility). (It’s a social rule).
In some other cases, should expresses that something is probable because it is logical or normal,
that is, you refer to a deduction. For instance:
MODAL VERBS
Sentence Structure
Affirmative Form
Subject + Modal Verb + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement (if necessary)
Sujeito + Modal Verb + Verbo Principal na Forma Base + Complemento (se necessário)
Negative Form
Subject + Modal Verb + Not + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement (if necessary)
Sujeito + Modal Verb + Not + Verbo Principal na Forma Base + Complemento (se necessário)
Interrogative Form
Modal Verb + Subject + Main Verb in the Base Form + Complement (if necessary)
Modal Verb + Sujeito + Verbo Principal na Forma Base + Complemento (se necessário)
In some cases, the modal verb would is used as a softer and less definitive form of the modal will,
or as the past of will when we are reporting sentences.
Expressing hypothesis is one of the most common uses of the modal verb would. And since it is
used to express hypothetical situations, you’ll see that it is used in many conditional sentences.
In such cases, we’ll use a clause with would to refer to unreal or uncertain situations together with
an if-clause.
We can also use would to make polite requests. If we observe it carefully, we’ll see that it’s still
a request made from a hypothetical perspective, but now you are actually asking something
from someone.
Would you help me with my project? Would you like some coffee?
Você me ajudaria com o meu projeto? Você aceitaria um café?
Would you go to the grocery store for me? Would you like me to drive you home?
Você iria ao supermercado para mim? Você gostaria que eu te levasse para casa?
I asked her what was going on, but she wouldn’t tell me.
Perguntei o que estava acontecendo, mas ela não quis me dizer.
(I asked her in the past and she refused to tell me.)
When I was younger, I would argue with my brother all the time.
Quando eu era mais novo, eu discutia com meu irmão o tempo todo.
(It was a typical behavior in the past.)
We can use would in expressions too. Would rather is used to say we prefer
one thing to another. Most of the times, we use the contracted form, which is
“I’d rather.”
Another commonly used expression with would is “would mind.” We use it to ask for favors or permission.
But the structure is a bit different. Check it out in the following box.
Would you mind opening the window? Would you mind if I opened the window?
Você se importaria de abrir a janela? Você se importaria se eu abrisse a janela?
(Would you mind + verb in the -ING form) (Would you mind if + subject + verb in the past)
PERSONAL PRONOUNS
First person I me
singular eu me/mim
Second person you you
singular tu/você te/ti/você/lhe
he him
ele ele/o/lhe
Third person she her
singular ela ela/a/lhe
it it
ele/ela ele/ela/o/a/lhe
First person we us
plural nós nos/nós
Second person you you
plural vós/vocês vos/vocês/lhes
Third person they them
plural eles/elas eles/elas/os/as/lhes
Some languages present variations of the object pronouns used depending on the
verb they are complementing. But that won’t happen in English.
The first-person pronouns used in the position of the object of the sentence will
always be me for the singular and us for the plural.
OBJE CT PRONOUN
First Person Singular
OBJE CT PRONOUN
First Person Plural
When we read these sentences, it’s not clear if we are using you to refer to one
or to more people, that is, singular or plural. Especially because they are isolated
sentences.
In spoken language, chances are the context will make it clear, since you is used
to refer to the person or to the people you are talking to. Either way, you can make
it clearer that you are using the plural form by combining you with other words,
for example: you people, you all, or you both.
OBJE CT PRONOUN
Second Person Plural
The third person singular object pronouns used for people are: him for masculine
and her for feminine. Both are used mostly for people.
OBJE CT PRONOUN
Third Person Singular (Him/Her)
OBJE CT PRONOUN
Third Person Singular (It)
In the third person plural, we’ll use they as the subject pronoun, and them as the object pronoun. In the
plural, we will use the same pronoun to refer to people, places, objects, animals, or any other third person
plural reference.
OBJE CT PRONOUN
Third Person Plural (Them)
I’m going to the beach with my friends. I’m going to the beach with them.
Estou indo à praia com meus amigos. Estou indo à praia com eles.
(The object is “my friends,” and it’s in the plural, so we could replace it with the object pronoun them.)
1. B
y using the ACTIVE VOICE. In this case, we emphasize the doer of an action,
which is the subject.
Usando a voz ativa. Nestes casos, enfatizamos aquele que executa a ação, o sujeito.
2. By using the PASSIVE VOICE. In such cases, we emphasize to the receiver of the
action. The receiver in the active voice becomes the subject in the passive voice.
Usando a voz passiva. Nestes casos, enfatizamos o receptor da ação. O receptor da
voz ativa se transforma no sujeito da voz passiva.
Active Voice
Passive Voice
In order to turn the active voice into the passive voice, there are some steps to be
followed. Check them out in the table.
1. Use the object of the active voice as the subject of the passive voice.
Use o objeto da voz ativa como o sujeito da voz passiva.
3. Include the verb TO BE as the auxiliary verb of the passive voice (use
the same verb form as the main verb in the active voice).
Inclua o verbo TO BE como verbo auxiliar da voz passiva ( no mesmo
tempo verbal do verbo principal).
4. Use the main verb of the active voice in the past participle.
Use o verbo principal da voz ativa no particípio passado.
Active Voice
Passive Voice
Let’s see an example of a sentence in which there are auxiliary verbs in the active voice.
Active Voice
Passive Voice
It’s important to notice that not every sentence in the active voice can be turned into the passive voice.
This happens when there is no object in the sentence or when the meaning would not be clear in the passive
voice. Or it could be simply because the emphasis or focus intended by the speaker cannot be expressed by a
passive structure.
PASSIVE VOICE
Uses – The doer is irrelevant
PASSIVE VOICE
Uses – The doer is unknown
PASSIVE VOICE
Uses – Formal / Scientific contexts
Now you know the difference between the active and passive voices, the structure of the passive
voice and how to use it, as well as cases in which the passive voice can’t be used.
my dog
meu cachorro
(It’s not your dog or his dog, it is my dog)
our house
nossa casa
(It’s not a house or a beautiful house, it is our house)
their books
os livros deles
(It’s not just any book, it is their books)
Take a look at the following table to see all the possessive adjectives in English.
Singular Plural
My Our
First person
meu(s), minha(s) nosso(s), nossa(s)
Your Your
Second person
teu(s), tua(s), seu(s), sua(s) seus, suas, de vocês
His
seu(s), sua(s), dele
Her Their
Third
person seu(s), sua(s), dela seus, suas, deles, delas
Its
seu(s), sua(s), dele, dela
For the second person, we’ll use your. This possessive adjective will
be the same for both the singular and plural forms, and only the
context will make it clear if we are referring to one or more owners.
POSSESSIVE CASE
If the context makes it clear to whose party we are referring, we can replace the
possessive case with a third person possessive adjective.
For the third person singular, we’ll use the possessive adjectives his for a masculine owner, her for feminine,
and, for other cases, we will use its.
(We used “his” because we are talking about George’s wife, and George is a man.)
(Usamos his porque estamos nos referindo à esposa do George, e George é um homem.)
(We used “her” because we are talking about Paula’s husband, and Paula is a woman.)
(Usamos her porque estamos nos referindo ao marido da Paula, e Paula é uma mulher.)
(We used “its” because we are talking about the computer keyboard, which is an object.)
(Usamos its porque estamos nos referindo ao teclado do computador, que é um objeto.)
In the third person plural, we will use their regardless of the gender.
There are situations in which more than one person will be identified as the
owner of an object or animal, or even some sort of relationship. In such cases, we
may identify each of these people, but there are two different ways to build this
structure.
POSSESSIVE CASE
In the other situation, there is more than one object that belongs to different
people. In this case, we’ll repeat the apostrophe + S indicating possession
after each person.
POSSESSIVE CASE
POSSESSIVE CASE
POSSESSIVE CASE
Nouns ending in -S
There are still cases in which we omit the noun that identifies the
element we are talking about. That happens when it’s clear in the
context what we are talking about.
That’s it. Now you know the structure and the use of the possessive case.
EXPRESSING POSSESSION
The possessive case structure will only be used to refer to the third person,
either singular or plural.
POSSESSIVE CASE
It is possible to omit the noun following the possessive if it’s clear what we are
talking about in the context. For example:
POSSESSIVE CASE
Omitting the Noun
Possessive adjectives also indicate possession or belonging, and they are always
used before a noun. They are called possessive adjectives precisely because they
are placed in the same position as most adjectives in English: before the noun.
However, when it is not necessary to mention what you are talking about
because it is clear in that context or because the noun has been mentioned before
in the sentence or in the conversation, we will replace the structure possessive
adjective + noun with a possessive pronoun.
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
your yours
Second person seu, seus, sua, suas, seu, seus, sua, suas,
Singular teu, teus, tua, tuas teu, teus, tua, tuas
his his
dele dele
its its
dele, dela dele, dela
your yours
Second person seus, suas, vosso, vossos, seus, suas, vosso, vossos,
Plural vossa, vossas vossa, vossas
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Structure
Affirmative
Subject + To Be + Verb in the -ING Form + Complement
I am watching a movie.
Eu estou assistindo a um filme.
Negative
Subject + To Be + Not + Verb in the -ING Form + Complement
Interrogative
To Be + Subject + Verb in the -ING Form + Complement
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Repeated Temporary Actions and Events
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Gradual Change
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Future
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Non-progressive Verbs in Continuous Forms: Different Meaning
I am seeing someone.
Eu estou saindo com alguém.
Now you know what the present continuous is all about: you’ve seen its
structure, some examples, and how to properly use it.
The structure for direct questions is the question word followed by the
interrogative form, and it can be used with different verb forms.
In the simple present, we can use how with the verb to be or with other verbs.
The difference is that when the verb to be is the main verb, we do not use an
auxiliary verb. For all the other verbs, an auxiliary must be used to create the
questions.
Check out some examples:
Structure: How + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb in the Base Form
+ Complement (if necessary)
How can also be used in the simple past, and the structure will follow the same
pattern of the simple present. The difference is that the verb to be or the auxiliary
verb will be conjugated in the past.
Structure: How + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb in the Base Form +
Complement (if necessary)
The question word how can also be used with continuous forms such as the
present and the past continuous. In this case, we’ll use how followed by the
interrogative form of these structures.
For the interrogative form of the present and past continuous, the verb to be
works as an auxiliary verb, followed by the subject, the main verb in the -ING
form, and a complement, if necessary.
It is also possible to use how with perfect forms such as the present perfect and
the present perfect continuous.
If you want to ask more specific questions using how, you can use an
adjective or an adverb after it. Check out the examples.
How much is this T-shirt? How many people were there at the concert?
Quanto custa esta camiseta? Quantas pessoas havia no show?
(How + Much = Amount or Price) (How + Many = Quantity)
How long does it take to get there? How tall is your brother?
Qual tempo demora para chegar lá? Qual é a altura do seu irmão?
(How + Long = Duration) (How + Tall = Height for People)
HOW ABOUT
Offers and Suggestions
HOW ABOUT
Reason and Surprise (Informal)
How + Adjective
How beautiful!
Que bonito!
(How + Adjective “beautiful”)
And now you know different ways to use the question word how, it’s meaning, structures in
different verb forms, as well as how to use it in exclamations.
But when we ask direct questions with the question word what, there are three
possible structures.
It is important to notice that the structure what + interrogative form will never be used for
questions about the subject of the sentence. When we follow this structure, it means that the
subject is included in the given question.
Let’s take a closer look:
(The question is not about who performs the action, but about what the person
wants. The subject “she” is part of the question. The core answer is “eggs and toast.”)
(Não tem relação com o sujeito, mas com o que o sujeito quer fazer.
O sujeito “ela” é parte da pergunta. A resposta central é “ovos e torradas”.)
I was traveling.
Eu estava viajando.
(It’s not about who was performing the action, but what the person was doing.
The subject “you,” which is part of the question, becomes “I” in the answer.
And the core answer is “traveling.”)
(Não tem relação com quem estava fazendo a ação, mas com o que a pessoa estava
fazendo. O sujeito “você”, que é parte da pergunta, vira “eu” na resposta.
A resposta central é “viajando”.)
What makes you happy? Spending time with my family makes me happy.
O que deixa você feliz? Passar tempo com a minha família me deixa feliz.
(The core answer is “spending time with my family,” which is the subject of the answer and is not
part of the question. That is why the verb in question is in the third person singular “makes.”)
(A resposta central é “passar tempo com a minha família”, que é o sujeito da resposta e não faz parte da
pergunta. Por isso o verbo da pergunta está na terceira pessoa do singular “makes”, deixa.)
(The core answer is “a music festival,” which is the subject of the answer and is not part
of the question. That is why the verb in question is in the third person singular “is.”)
(A resposta central é “um festival de música”, que é o sujeito da resposta e não faz parte
da pergunta. Por isso o verbo da pergunta está na terceira pessoa do singular “is”, está.)
(The core answer is “not having money to pay their bills,” which is the subject of the answer and is
not part of the question. That is why the verb in question is in the third person singular “is.”)
(A resposta central é “não ter dinheiro para pagar suas contas”, que é o sujeito da resposta e não faz
parte da pergunta. Por isso o verbo da pergunta está na terceira pessoa do singular “is”, está.)
(1) (2)
What’s happening?
If you want to ask a more specific question using what, place a noun right after
the question word.
Great idea.
Ótima ideia.
What’s up?
E aí?
What now?
O que agora?
What a song!
Que música!
(What + Article “a” + Noun “song”)
Now you know different ways in which you can use the question word what, the structure used
with different verb forms, as well as how to use it in exclamations and expressions.
When
Quando
Check out some examples of when used in direct and indirect questions:
Structure: When + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb in the Base Form +
Complement (if necessary)
We can use when with continuous forms such as the present continuous to
indicate actions in the future.
PRESENT PERFECT
Structure: When + Verb To Have + Subject +
Main Verb in the Past Participle + Complement (if necessary)
QUESTION WORDS
Specific Time
And now you know what a question word is and how to use the question
word when with different verb forms.
Where
Onde/Aonde
The question word where can be used in direct and indirect questions.
Direct questions with where will follow the same pattern, regardless of the
verb form. The structure will be the question word where followed by the
interrogative form.
SIMPLE PRESENT
Questions with where in the simple past follow the same pattern of the simple
present. The only difference is that you’ll conjugate the verb to be or the auxiliary
verb in the past
SIMPLE PAST
The question word where can also be used with continuous forms such as the
present and the past continuous.
PRESENT PERFECT
Modal verbs can be used in questions with where. In this case, the modal verb
comes right after the question word.
Structure: Where + Modal Verb + Subject + Main Verb in the Base Form +
Complement (if necessary)
Check out some questions with the verbs to go and to come followed by these prepositions.
(The preposition is optional because the verb to go expresses movement toward a place
with or without the preposition.)
(A preposição é opcional porque ir o verbo ir indica movimento em direção a algum lugar,
com ou sem preposição.)
(The preposition is mandatory, otherwise the verb to come might not imply the idea of origin.)
(A preposição é obrigatória, caso contrário, o verbo vir pode não transmitir a ideia de origem.)
And now you know what a question word is and how to use the question
word where to ask indirect or direct questions with different verb forms.
QUESTION WORDS
What vs. Which
In English, when we ask direct questions with both which and what, it’s possible to use a noun
after the question word to make the question more specific.
Again, you’ll choose to use one or the other based on the range of options. Take a look at the
examples.
QUESTION WORDS
Which vs. What
I bought white and grey paint. Which color will you choose for your bedroom?
Eu comprei tinta branca e cinza. Qual cor você vai escolher para o seu quarto?
(Limited options = only two colors available: white and grey)
I’m trying to decide on the new color of our bedroom walls. What colors do you like?
Eu estou tentando decidir a cor das paredes do nosso quarto. De quais cores você gosta?
(Broader option = from all the colors, you can choose the ones you like)
Which can also be followed by a pronoun, usually because you don’t want to repeat the
options you have just given, and in such case, we’ll frequently use the pronoun one.
Can you give me some suggestions on which museums I should visit in Berlin?
Você pode me dar algumas sugestões de quais museus eu devo visitar em Berlim?
(Indirect Question: Which + Structure of the Affirmative Form)
Now you know how to ask questions using the question word which, and know the
difference between what and which, their use and structure.
Question Word—W ho
Direct and Indirect Questions
As with all question words, the most frequent structure to ask a direct question is
the question word followed by the interrogative form in different verb forms.
In the simple present, when we use who with the verb to be, we do not use an
auxiliary verb.
When we ask questions to learn about the object of a sentence, then the subject is included in the question,
and we will use who followed by the structure of the interrogative form.
In continuous forms such as the present and the past continuous, we’ll use the
question word who followed by the interrogative of these structures.
Who is commonly used with modal verbs. In this case, the modal comes right after the question word.
Who should we consider for the project? Who can help us?
Quem devemos considerar para o projeto? Quem pode nos ajudar?
You can make questions using who and verbs followed by prepositions. In these cases, the prepositions
go to the end of the sentence.
WHO
Verbs + Prepositions
Who are you going out with? Who did you talk to?
Com quem você vai sair? Com quem você falou?
(I am asking about the person or (In this question, we want to know
people who are joining you.) who that person is.)
And now you know when and how to use who, and you’ve seen its
structure with different verb forms.
WHO X WHOSE
It is important to pay special attention to the difference between who’s, which is the contraction of the
question word who and is, or sometimes who and has, and the question word whose. In spoken language,
they may sound similar, but their meaning is different.
WHO’S X WHOSE
WHOSE + PREPOSITIONS
WHOSE
Simple Forms
WHOSE
Continuous Forms
As whose asks about possession, the answers will include the possessive case, possessive
adjectives, or possessive pronouns. If you want to learn more about how to answer questions with
whose, there are dedicated grammar guides for each of these topics.
Why
Por que / Por quê
Just like the other question words, why can be used in direct and indirect
questions.
Most direct questions will follow this pattern: question word why +
interrogative form, no matter which verb form you choose to use.
Questions with why can also be followed by a verb in the infinitive without to. This structure
is typically used to suggest that an action is pointless or unnecessary.
I’ve already told you this movie is terrible. Why waste your time with it?
Eu já te disse que esse filme é horrível. Por que perder seu tempo com isso?
(Why + verb “to waste” in the infinitive without to)
When we reply to a negative statement and we want to ask the reason, why not sounds more natural than
why. Why not can also be used as a reply when we want to accept a suggestion.
Let’s order some food and watch a movie at home. Sure, why not?
Vamos pedir comida e assistir a um filme em casa. Com certeza, por que não?
It is also possible to use why not when we want to give a suggestion. In this case,
we can use why not + infinitive without to or we can use why + interrogative-
negative form of the simple present.
Check the examples:
Now you know what a question word is, how to use why as a question word
using different verb forms, and how to use because to state reasons.
OBJE CT PRONOUNS
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
The person who performs the action, that is, the subject,
is the same person who receives the action: the object.
Finally, pay attention not to confuse reflexive pronouns with object pronouns.
Reflexive pronoun
Object pronoun
The second sentence should be avoided. It sounds ambiguous since two female names were
mentioned before. Still, it’s clear that Mary is not talking about herself, because we used the object
pronoun her and not the reflexive herself.
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
I myself
eu eu mesmo(a)
you yourself
você você mesmo
he himself
Singular ele ele mesmo / si mesmo
she herself
ela ela mesma / si mesma
it itself
ele(a) / isso a si mesmo(a)
we ourselves
nós nós mesmos(as)
you yourselves
Plural vocês vocês mesmos(as)
they themselves
eles/elas eles mesmos/elas mesmas
Now that you know the reflexive pronouns in English, check their use.
We mainly use them when the subject and the object of the sentence
refer to the same person or thing.
In some situations, reflexive pronouns are used even if the subject and the
object are not the same but are somehow related.
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
We can also use reflexive pronouns to emphasize the subject of the sentence. In this case, they
are not the object of the action, and they can be removed from the sentence without changing the
meaning. But if we decide to use it, we should place the reflexive right after the subject or at the
end of the sentence.
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
I like to be by myself.
Eu gosto de ficar sozinho(a).
(It means that I like to be alone.)
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
Now you know what a reflexive pronoun is and how to use it.
RE GUL AR VERBS
General rule add -ED
RE GUL AR VERBS
For verbs ending in -E, add -D
For regular verbs that end with a consonant followed by the letter
Y, we drop the -Y, and add -IED.
RE GUL AR VERBS
Verbs ending with a consonant followed by Y, add -IED
RE GUL AR VERBS
Verbs ending in CVC: double the last consonant and add -ED
Pay attention to the fact that there are also verbs ending in the combination consonant + vowel + consonant
in which the last consonant is L.
In British English, these verbs, regardless of the stressed syllable, will always have their past and past
particle forms with double L. Therefore, travelled with double L or traveled with one L are both correct
spellings of the past of the verb to travel. The same happens with the verb to cancel.
RE GUL AR VERBS
Verbs ending in CVC in which the last consonant is L: add -ED or double the L and add -ED
RE GUL AR VERBS
Verbs ending in –C: add -KED
And now you know how to use the regular verbs in the
past and the past participle.
(1)
Claire has been my friend since we were kids.
A Claire é minha amiga desde que éramos crianças.
(2)
Claire is currently working as a consultant.
A Claire está atualmente trabalhando como consultora.
Notice that the subject in both sentences is Claire. Therefore, when we combine
both sentences into one, we can replace the noun that is repeated, in this case,
Claire, by the relative pronoun who, which is placed immediately after the noun
it is replacing in the sentence.
We can start with the piece of information we want between commas.
1. Claire, who has been my friend since we were kids, is currently working as a
consultant.
2. Claire, who is working as a consultant, has been my friend since we were kids.
(1)
Claire has been my friend since we were kids.
A Claire é minha amiga desde que éramos crianças.
(2)
Claire is currently working as a consultant.
A Claire está atualmente trabalhando como consultora.
Who can also refer to groups of people, such as committee, police, team, among others.
If there’s a fire, you should call the fire brigade, who deals with this kind of accident.
Se houver um incêndio, você deve chamar a brigada de incêndio, que lida com este tipo de acidente.
(Fire brigade consists of a group of people).
If the relative pronoun refers to things, for example, we’ll use the relative pronoun which. It won’t matter if it’s
being used as the subject or the object of the verb in the sentence. Take a look:
(1) (2)
Soccer is the world’s most popular sport. I don’t like soccer.
O futebol é o esporte mais popular do mundo. Eu não gosto de futebol.
If we replace soccer for the relative pronoun in the sentence where it is the subject, the relative
pronoun should be placed right after soccer in the sentence where it is the object, check it out:
(1)
Soccer is the world’s most popular sport.
O futebol é o esporte mais popular do mundo.
(2)
I don’t like soccer.
Eu não gosto de futebol.
(2) (1)
I don’t like soccer, which is the world’s most popular sport.
Eu não gosto de futebol, que é o esporte mais popular do mundo.
But if we wish to replace it in the sentence where soccer is the object of the verb, it goes like:
(1)
Soccer is the world’s most popular sport.
O futebol é o esporte mais popular do mundo.
(2)
I don’t like soccer.
Eu não gosto de futebol.
(1) (2)
I’m going to travel with my sister. My sister is on vacation.
Eu vou viajar com a minha irmã. Minha irmã está de férias.
We can join these sentences using the relative pronoun who with a coma right
before it, or without a coma, depending on what we mean.
Non-restrictive Clause
I’m going to travel with my sister, who is on vacation.
I’m going to travel with my sister, that is on vacation.
Eu vou viajar com a minha irmã, que está de férias.
Restrictive Clause
I’m going to travel with my sister who is on vacation.
I’m going to travel with my sister that is on vacation.
Eu vou viajar com a minha irmã que está de férias.
The same happens with the relative pronoun when. We can use it as a relative
pronoun that gives a time reference, or as a preposition followed by which to convey
the same meaning in a formal structure.
(1) (2)
Tina called me last night. Tina’s sister works with me.
A Tina me ligou ontem à noite. A irmã da Tina trabalha comigo.
SIMPLE PAST
Affirmative Sentences
In affirmative sentences, the auxiliary verb is not necessary, but it can be used in some
specific contexts to emphasize the message.
If we decide to use the auxiliary did to add emphasis to affirmative sentences, the main verb
goes back to its base form.
SIMPLE PAST
Affirmative Sentences – Adding Emphasis
The verb conjugation in the simple past will be the same for all persons, singular or plural.
What we must take into consideration, though, is that some verbs in English are regular, while
others are irregular.
In the previous example in the affirmative form, we used the regular verb to watch in the past,
which is watched.
For regular verbs, we’ll add -D, -ED, or -IED to the end, depending on how the base form is
spelled. Check the spelling rules for regular verbs in the past.
SIMPLE PAST
Irregular Verbs
There’s a grammar guide dedicated to irregular verbs in the past. Check it so you can learn
more about them.
Now, when using sentences in the negative and in the interrogative forms, the fact that the
verbs can be either regular or irregular is unimportant, since it’s the auxiliary verb did that
will be conjugated. This means that the main verb goes back to its base form.
SIMPLE PAST
Negative Sentences
Structure: Subject + Auxiliary (Did) + NOT + Main Verb (Base Form) + Complement
SIMPLE PAST
Negative Sentences – Adding Emphasis
For interrogative sentences, we’ll invert the order and place the auxiliary before the subject.
Structure: Subject + Auxiliary (Did) + NOT + Main Verb (Base Form) + Complement
Now that we’ve seen the simple past in the affirmative form and the spelling
rules for regular verbs, as well as the structures of negative and interrogative
sentences, it’s time to see its common usages.
We use the simple past to talk about definite time in the past.
SIMPLE PAST
Uses
I graduated in December.
Eu me formei em dezembro.
(“To graduate” is a regular verb, and its past form is “graduated”)
The simple past may or may not have an explicit time reference.
Either way, it refers to past events.
SIMPLE PAST
Uses
We can use the simple past to talk about events that happened once or events that happened
with some frequency in the past.
SIMPLE PAST
Uses
USED TO
Frequent Events in the Past
Now you know when and why we use the simple past with other verbs,
as well as its structures and spelling rules.
SIMPLE PRESENT
The basic structure for the affirmative form is the SVC structure, that is, subject,
main verb, and complement. And the verb conjugation works like this: we’ll use the
base form of the verb for all persons, except for the third person singular. In this
case, we’ll add –S, –ES, or –IES to the end of the verb, depending on how it’s spelled.
SIMPLE PRESENT
Affirmative Form
Singular Plural
He works here.
Ele trabalha aqui.
Notice that we do not use the auxiliary verb in the affirmative form. But it’s possible to use it to
add emphasis to a statement. In that case, the auxiliary verb is placed before the main verb.
SIMPLE PRESENT
Affirmative Form: Adding Emphasis
(The verb “do” is used as an auxiliary. So it does not have a meaning, but a function).
(O verbo “do” é usado como auxiliar. Portanto, não tem um significado, mas uma função).
SIMPLE PRESENT
Negative Form
Singular Plural
The basic interrogative form structure in the simple present is the auxiliary verb do conjugated according to
the subject, the subject, the main verb in its base form, and the complement, if necessary.
So the position of the auxiliary verb and the subject is inverted, and, once again, in the third person singular,
the main verb goes back to its base form, and the auxiliary verb is conjugated.
Check out the following table:
SIMPLE PRESENT
Interrogative Form
Singular Plural
SIMPLE PRESENT
Other Verbs – Uses
First you read the questions, then you have to mark the correct statement.
Primeiro você lê as perguntas, depois você tem que marcar a afirmação correta.
The simple present can convey the idea of immediacy and drama, and that’s why it’s commonly
used in stories or novels, in sports broadcasting, and in newspaper headlines, even when
reporting past events.
SIMPLE PRESENT
Other Verbs – Uses
She crosses the street toward him, looks back, and decides to let it go.
Ela atravessa a rua em direção a ele, olha para trás e decide deixar para lá.
He gets the ball, passes through the defense and shoots, but the goalkeeper saves it.
Ele pega a bola, passa pela defesa e chuta, mas o goleiro agarra.
SIMPLE PRESENT
Non-progressive Verbs
And now you know the structure and the most common uses of the simple present.
SIMPLE PRESENT
SIMPLE PRESENT
Verb To Be
Singular Plural
First person I am We are
Second person You are You are
Third person He/She/It is They are
SIMPLE PRESENT
Verb To Be
Affirmative
Subject + Verb To Be + Complement
I’m a writer.
Eu sou escritor.
Negative
Subject + Verb To Be + NOT + Complement
I am not a writer.
Eu não sou escritor.
Interrogative
Verb To Be + Subject + Complement
SIMPLE PRESENT
Verb To Be – Uses
Name
I am Sophie. My name is Sophie.
Eu sou Sophie. O meu nome é Sophie.
Profession Age
I am an architect. I am 36 years old.
Eu sou arquiteta. Eu tenho 36 anos.
SIMPLE PRESENT
Verb To Be – Uses
I am thirsty.
Eu estou com sede.
(It’s a state. Something I am experiencing now.)
I am skinny.
Eu sou magro(a).
(It refers to a physical characteristic.)
SIMPLE PRESENT
Verb To Be – Uses
The verb to be in the simple present is also used to talk about time and dates.
SIMPLE PRESENT
Verb To Be – Uses
We can use the verb to be in the simple present to refer to places and locations as well.
SIMPLE PRESENT
Verb To Be – Uses
And now you know when and why we use the verb to be in the simple present.
watch watching
assistir assitindo
do doing
fazer fazendo
There are also some special cases. If the verb ends in an E, drop the
E and add -ING.
take taking
pegar; levar pegando; levando
make making
fazer fazendo
run running
correr correndo
get getting
pegar pegando
swim swimming
nadar nadando
enjoy enjoying
gostar; aproveitar gostando; aproveitando
show showing
mostrar mostrando
fix fixing
consertar consertando
commit committing
(se comprometer) (se comprometendo)
whisper whispering
(sussurrar) (sussurrando)
For the verbs ending in IE, we replace IE with Y and add -ING.
lie lying
mentir mentindo
tie tying
amarrar amarrando
Now you know the spelling rules for the -ING forms.
SUBJE CT PRONOUNS
Singular Plural
I we
First person
eu nós
you you
Second person
tu/você vós/vocês
he
ele ( pessoa)
she they
Third person
ela ( pessoa) eles/elas
it
ele/ela (exceto pessoas)
Let’s start analyzing the first person pronouns, the ones that refer to the person
who is talking.
The first person singular pronoun (I) is always written with a capital letter,
regardless of its position in the sentence. Capitalization does not happen with
any other pronoun in English, not even with the first person plural (we).
SUBJE CT PRONOUNS
First Person
I am her friend.
Eu sou amigo(a) dela.
(first person singular pronoun I) We are friends.
Nós somos amigos.
(first person plural pronoun we)
For the second person, the subject pronoun you will be used both in the singular
and in the plural. You always refers to the person or the people you are talking to.
Therefore, the context will tell you whether it is singular or plural.
SUBJE CT PRONOUNS
Second Person
SUBJE CT PRONOUNS
Third Person Singular (He/She)
For all the other cases, we will use the other third person singular pronoun, it;
that is, to talk about any other thing in the singular.
SUBJE CT PRONOUN
Third Person Singular (It)
Notice that, in the examples we have just seen, the reference of the pronoun it is
clear in the sentence. It refers to the computer in the first example, and to the TV in
the second one.
But the pronoun it will also be used as a subject in sentences that have an
impersonal subject. This impersonal use of it introduces new information, and it is
used particularly to talk about time, dates, the weather, and opinion.
When it has an impersonal function, it does not refer to a previously mentioned
noun. In this case, the pronoun it simply works as the subject of the sentence.
SUBJE CT PRONOUN
Third Person Singular (It)
It’s late.
Está tarde.
(third person singular neutral pronoun it impersonal subject)
For the third person plural, there is only one pronoun: they. This is the plural form of the pronouns he, she,
and it—meaning this pronoun can be used to refer both to people and objects.
SUBJE CT PRONOUN
Third Person Plural (They)
WILL
Structure
Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative
It won’t rain.
Não vai chover.
WILL
Uses
WILL
Uses
Promises
WILL
Uses
Refusal
WILL
Inevitability