Tricky Pitfalls 38

Ontem, Domingo de Páscoa, conjuguei um verbo há tempos riscado do meu vocabulário: empanturrar-se.

Empanturrei-me em dose dupla: devorei uma quantidade industrial de bacalhoada e, mais ou menos duas horas depois, ataquei um ovo de chocolate de proporções respeitáveis.

Resultado: uma diarreia de uma grandiosidade bíblica que me deixou fraco e desidratado. Mas valeu a pena. Viva a Páscoa!

Tricky Pitfalls 38

191. I accepted his proposal of marriage the same day I passed in my finals.

191. Correção: I accepted his proposal of marriage the same day I passed my finals. (Pass Ø one’s exams, não pass in one’s exams.)

192. Would you like to pass the weekend away from home?

192. Correção: Would you like to spend the weekend away from home? (Spend é transitivo: spend a day, a week, a month etc; pass é intransitivo: two years passed, por exemplo.)

193. I loved her wedding dress. The colour was very peculiar.

193. Correção: I loved her wedding dress. The colour was very unsual (Peculiar tem uma conotação negativa, tipo esquisito, estranho; unusual tem conotação positiva, tipo diferente, incomum.)

194. A high percentage of women  now has part-time jobs.

194. Correção: A high percentage of women  now have part-time jobs.(Vou me permitir divergir da gramática rígida e intransigente: se depois de a high percentage of aparecer um substantivo singular, tipo a high percentage of the original value you are bidding for, ou a high percentage of consumer spending,  o verbo fica no singular; se aparecer um substantivo plural, o verbo vai para o plural.)

195. For Christians of Bethlehem, travelling a 10-kilometer distance to Jerusalem's Old City is impossible without a special permission from Israel. 

195. Correção: For Christians of Bethlehem, travelling a 10-kilometer distance to Jerusalem's Old City is impossible without special permission from Israel. (Permission é um sustantivo uncountable, ou seja, não vem precedido do artigo a.)

Easter Tricky Pitfalls 37

Hoje, Domingo de Pascoa, como um special treat para meus parcos leitores, todas as 5 sentenças fazem referência a Easter. So, Happy Easter to all of you.

Tricky Pitfalls 37

186. I overjoyed myself when I got your Easter card.

186. Correção: I was overjoyed when I got you Easter card. (Overjoyed é um adjetivo, significando ‘superfeliz’; não existe o verbo to overjoy oneself.)

187. At the age of 32, my son was finally living in an own house, which he bought one week before Easter.

187. Correção: At the age of 32, my son was finally living in his own house, which he bought one week before Easter. (Own é um adjetivo que deve sempre vir precedido de um possessivo: her own car, my own grandchildren etc.)

188. The boy felt very painful after the accident he had on Easter Sunday.

188. Correção: The boy felt a lot of pain after the accident he had on Easter Sunday. (Você sente pain; a “coisa”, seja ela o que for – uma experiência, um exame médico invasivo, uma picada de cobra etc.) é que é painful.)

189. I gave my nephew a new couple of sneakers for Easter.

189. Correção: I gave my nephew a new pair of sneakers for Easter. (Normalmente se diz a pair of trousers, a pair of sneakers, a pair of glasses, a pair of scissors, a pair of aces etc.; por outro lado, a couple of remarks, a nice couple dancing in the hall, a couple of weeks ago etc.)

190. The little girl would not part from her Easter bunny, although it was falling to pieces, or maybe because of that.

190. Correção: The little girl would not part with her Easter bunny, although it was falling to pieces, or maybe because of that. (Part with, não part from.)

Tricky Pitfalls 36

Tricky Pitfalls 36

181. Rufino’s is one of my wife’s favourite restaurant.

181. Correção: Rufino’s is one of my wife’s favourite restaurants. (Depois de one of o substantivo vai para o plural.)

182. A long lasting solution   can   only   be   reached  through dialogue. 

182. Correção: Embora a sentença acima não esteja errada, convém usar only próximo à palavra ou frase que ele modifica: A   long­lasting   solution   can    be   reached  only through dialogue..

183. According to the Minister of Labour’s opinion, the state is currently unable to stop unemployment rates from rising

183. Correção: According to the Minister of Labour, the state is currently unable to stop unemployment rates from rising. (Não se usa opinion depois de according to.)

184. Playing outdoors sports is good for relieving stress. 

184. Correção: Playing outdoor sports is good for relieving stress. (Outdoor é um adjetivo, isto é, ele modifica um substantivo; outdoors é um advérbio, ou seja, modifica um verbo, tipo: Working outdoors is good for relieving stress.)

185. A new shopping mall will soon be opened on the outskirt of Liverpool.

185. Correção: A new shopping mall will soon be opened on the outskirts of Liverpool. (Outskirts é sempre plural.)

Tricky Pitfalls 35

Tricky Pitfalls 35

176. It became more than obvious for us that it had been him. 

176. Correção: It became more than obvious to us that it had been him. (Obvious to, não obvious for.)

177. I’m not sure whether on that opportunity she was with her husband, but I think she was.

177. Correção: I’m not sure whether on that occasion she was with her husband, but I think she was. (Opportunity: conjunto de circunstâncias em que se torna possível fazer algo; occasion: momento em que algo acontece.)

178. Raglan Castle is one of the oldest castles of Wales, having been built by the Normans in the twelfth century.

178. Correção: Raglan Castle is one of the oldest castles in Wales, having been built by the Normans in the twelfth century. (The oldest castle in Wales, the smallest town in Ireland, the prettiest village in Scotland etc.)

179. An 85-year old widow, living alone, tripped over her beloved dog and broke her leg.

179. Correção: An 85-year-old widow, living alone, tripped over her beloved dog and broke her leg. (An 85-year-old widow, a 5-year-old prodigy pianist, a lovely 22-year-old bride etc. – sempre com dois hífens.)

180. “Heaven today is but a way 
To a place once I called home.” (Nightwish)

180. “Heaven today is but a way 
To a place I once called home.” (Once vai entre o sujeito e o verbo ou entre o auxiliar e o verbo principal, como por exemplo I have once seen a peacock.) 

Tricky Pitfalls 34

Tricky Pitfalls 34

O instituto da bala perdida deve ser aplicado equanimemente, de forma democrática e igualitária. É intolerável que só pessoas inocentes, muitas delas crianças, sejam vítimas. E os corruptos, e os advogados que os defendem, e os magistrados que os julgam - esses nunca são alcançados? Injusto, muito injusto.

171. He no more needed to feel frightened. He was safe now.

171. Correção: He no longer needed to feel frightened. He was safe now. (No longer é usado para exprimir o fim de uma ação. No more significa ‘nada mais’, ‘nada além’, como, por exemplo, no more boring examples.)

172. My sister told me a secret recently, and she begged me to not tell my mom. 

172. Correção: My sister told me a secret recently, and she begged me not to tell my mom.  (Não se deve usar o chamado split infinitive, ou seja, não se deve intercalar not entre o to e o infinitive.)

173. There was a note on the wall announcing that the store was closing.

173. Correção: There was a notice on the wall announcing that the store was closing. (Notice: aviso, cartaz, placa; note: recado, nota, mensagem.)

174. Unfortunately the mistake was not only made by a number of companies but also by the European Union as a whole.

174. Correção: Unfortunately the mistake was made not only by a number of companies but also by the European Union as a whole. (Not only deve ser usado na mesma posição que but also.)

175. The number of corrupt politicians are ever increasing.

175. Correção: The number of corrupt politicians is ever increasing. (The number of + plural noun exige o verbo no singular.)

Tricky Pitfalls 34

Tricky Pitfalls 34

A corja

- Eu sou a favor da impunidade.

- Eu também.

- Eu não.

- Eu sou totalmente a favor.

- Eu sou a favor, mas com restrições.

- Não, comigo é impunidade geral e irrestrita.

- Acompanho o voto do eminente colega.

- Sou contra.

- Eu idem.

- Há dias em que eu sou contra e há dias em que eu sou a favor. Posso pensar?

- Sou contra.

- Também sou contra.

166. The economy was poor this year, never the less our sales were strong.

166. Correção: The economy was poor this year, nevertheless our sales were strong. (Nevertheless é uma palavra só, não três.)

167. Nobody never loved me like she does. 

167. Correção: Nobody ever loved me like she does. (Depois de nobody não se usa never e sim ever.) 

168. The Eve was a clean and nice ship. 

168. Correção: The Eve was a ship that was clean and nice.  (Collocations com nice, tipo nice and clean ou nice and cosy não são, via de regra, usadas como adjetivos atributivos, isto é, antes do substantivo, mas sim depois.)

169. It was evident that none of the two defendants had received a fair trial. 

169. Correção: It was evident that neither of the two defendants had received a fair trial. (Neither of = nenhum dos dois; none of = nenhum dos três ou mais.)

170. K-pop stars will perform in the north of Korea for the first time since 2005.

170. Correção: K-pop stars will perform in North Korea for the first time since 2005. (North/South/East/West são normalmente antes de nomes de países ou estados.)

Tricky Pitfalls 33

Tricky Pitfalls 33

Num Estado democrático de Direito, todos estão sujeitos a uma bala perdida. O STF também.

161. “What’s the matter with you?” “The matter is I don’t have enough money to pay my rent this month.”

161. Correção: “What’s the matter with you?” “The problem is I don’t have enough money to pay my rent this month.” (Matter, no sentido de ‘problema’ só pode ser usado em perguntas ou sentenças negativas.)

162. Talking to him means to have to put up with a lot of nonsense.

162. Correção: Talking to him means having to put up with a lot of nonsense. (Mean + to-infinitive significa ‘pretender fazer algo’; mean + gerund significa ‘significar’, implicar’.)

163. Most young people I know go into medicine or law for the money, not for idealism.

163. Correção: Most of the young people I know go into medicine or law for the money, not for idealism. (Most + noun: sentido genérico; most of the: sentido restrito.)

164. I’m left-handed and all the computer mouses in the office were right-handed.

164. Correção: I’m left-handed and all the computer mice in the office were right-handed. (O plural de mouse é mice.)

165. Her parents decided to call her Georgina when she was born, but all her schoolmates would name her Gina.

165. Correção: Her parents decided to name her Georgina when she was born, but all her schoolmates would call her Gina. (To name: dar oficialmente um nome a alguém ou alguma coisa; to call: chamar alguém ou algo de maneira informal.)