Past Participle Clauses

Past participle clauses are a great way to add depth and variety to your language. By using clauses that begin with a past participle, you can create more complex sentences that express actions that have already happened.

1. What is a Past Participle?

Before we dive into past participle clauses, let's quickly review what a past participle is. In Portuguese, a past participle is formed by adding the suffix -ado to regular -ar verbs and -ido to regular -er and -ir verbs. However, there are some irregular past participles that you will need to memorize.

For example:

• falar (to speak) -> falado (spoken)
• comer (to eat) -> comido (eaten)
• escrever (to write) -> escrito (written)

2. Structure of Past Participle Clauses

A past participle clause begins with the past participle of a verb, followed by any necessary auxiliary verbs. It is important to note that the auxiliary verbs will agree in gender and number with the subject of the clause.

The general structure is: subject + auxiliary verbs + past participle + other elements

For example:

• O livro (subject) que foi escrito pelo autor (past participle clause) é muito popular. (The book that was written by the author is very popular.)

3. Using Past Participle Clauses

Past participle clauses can be used in various ways to add complexity to your sentences. Here are some common ways to use past participle clauses:

a. Describing Actions in the Past

Past participle clauses can be used to describe actions that have already happened. This adds more detail and specificity to your sentences.

Example:

• O carro (subject) atropelado pelo motorista (past participle clause) foi consertado. (The car that was run over by the driver has been fixed.)

b. Expressing Cause and Effect

You can use a past participle clause to express the cause and effect relationship between two actions.

Example:

• O acidente (subject) causado pela chuva (past participle clause) resultou em atrasos no trânsito. (The accident caused by the rain resulted in delays in traffic.)

c. Giving Additional Information

Past participle clauses can also provide additional information about the subject or object of a sentence.

Example:

• O filme (subject) visto por milhões de pessoas (past participle clause) recebeu vários prêmios. (The movie seen by millions of people received several awards.)

4. Word Order in Past Participle Clauses

In past participle clauses, the past participle usually comes immediately after the subject. However, if there are other elements in the clause, such as indirect or direct objects, prepositional phrases, or adverbs, they will come after the past participle.

Example:

• As cartas (subject) escritas pela minha avó (past participle clause) foram encontradas no sótão. (The letters written by my grandmother were found in the attic.)

5. Practice Makes Perfect

Now that you have learned about past participle clauses, practice incorporating them into your own sentences. Start by creating simple sentences and then add past participle clauses to make them more complex and interesting.

Remember, the more you practice, the more comfortable you will become with using past participle clauses in your Portuguese writing and speaking. Enjoy exploring the depth and variety they can bring to your language skills!