The back is the union of the female article The with the preposition The and with certain pronouns whose initial letter is also the The.
This union is indicated orthographically through the use of the grave accent (à), also referred to as the backrest accent.
Examples:
- I like Minas Gerais food.
- We went to that city last month.
The first step in knowing when to use the backquote is to identify whether the article has been merged The with the preposition The.
See some rules and tips to learn more about using the backtack.
Mandatory use of the back letter
Check below the cases where the use of the backquote is mandatory.
1. When the verb requires preposition Theand then there is an article The and a feminine noun
Examples:
- Cecilia took her son to the party
- Officials went to the demonstration against the cut of funds.
TIP: to make sure that the crase must be applied, just replace the feminine noun with a masculine noun. If it is necessary to replace the The fur to the, the grave accent must be used.
If we try this exercise with the above sentences, for example, we find that the
The she passes to to the:- Cecilia took her son to the mall.
- Officials went to protest against the cut in funds.
2. In expressions that indicate time
Before utterances indicating hours, the grave accent must be used.
Examples:
- My Italian class starts at 3pm.
- The meeting is scheduled for 4pm.
EXCEPTION: if prepositions are used before the hours for, since or until, the backrest accent is not used.
Examples:
- He's been at the airport since 4pm.
- I'll be home until 8pm.
- The group meeting was scheduled for 14:00.
3. In feminine phrases that indicate mode, time and place.
Examples:
- Sometimes we travel on the weekend.
- In the rush, she hurriedly did her makeup.
Note that in the first example the phrase “weekend” indicates time and in the second example the phrase “in a hurry” indicates mode.
See below for some more phrases where the backquote is applied.
- indicate time: sometimes in the evening, in the afternoon.
- indicate place: in front of, on the edge of, except for.
- indicate mode: as, as.
4. before words House and Earth.
In this case, it is necessary to pay attention to the meaning of the word in the sentence.
The word House it is only preceded by a crasis when it does not mean home, it's the word Earth it is only preceded by a crasis when its meaning is not related to the ground.
Examples:
- He went to the brothers' house. (someone else's house and not their own home)
- At the end of the year, she goes to her hometown to spend the holidays with her family. (specific location)
Optional use of the back letter
1. Before a possessive pronoun
before pronouns my, mine, my, my, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, from him, her, their, from them, our, Wow, ours, our, you can choose or not to use the crase.
Examples:
- I handed the work over to my teacher. / I gave the work to my teacher.
- They disobeyed my orders. / You disobeyed my orders.
2. after the word until
when the word until precedes a feminine word that admits the article The, the use of the backquote is optional.
Examples:
- We walked to the beach. / We walked to the beach.
- Go to the greengrocer and take the return. / Head to the greengrocer's and take the U-turn.
3. Before female proper names
The crase is optional before feminine proper nouns as the use of the article before the noun is not mandatory.
Examples:
- Carlos handed Maria a document. / Carlos handed Maria a document.
- Bruna made an invitation to Clara. / Bruna made an invitation to Clara.
When not to use a backstroke
Check the explanations below to find out when the backtack should not be applied.
When precedes masculine nouns
The article The does not usually appear before masculine nouns, so it is not possible for the article to be joined The with the preposition The.
Examples:
- I like to walk around.
- There are 300 people aboard the ship.
Exception: when the phrase expresses the idea of “in the fashion of”.
Examples:
- She painted a Picasso painting.
- He made a defense to Taffarel.
See too:
- Preposition
- Sometimes
- Make yourself comfortable
- Definite and indefinite article