Do you know what the differential accents are for in the Portuguese language? Well then, they are necessary to establish differences between homophone words, that is, words that have the same pronunciation and the same spelling.
With the latest spelling overhaul, most of the differential accents it was abolished, but, as every rule has an exception, the same did not happen with the words could and can. The differences between the two words exist and go beyond the caret in one of the forms. Want to know more? Follow our explanation:
Differences between might and might
♥He can: He can, with a circumflex accent, indicates that the verb “power” is conjugated in the 3rd person singular of the perfect tense of the indicative, indicating that an action has already been completed, performed. Look at the examples:
unfortunately he doesn't he can come to the school party.
He no he can answer the cell phone because I was driving.
♥He can: He can, without the accent, is the conjugated form of the verb “power” in the 3rd person singular of the present tense, indicating that the action takes place at the moment it is spoken. Look at the examples:
Poder is in the past tense perfect tense, while can is in the present tense, both in the 3rd person singular
Therefore, it could and can continue to be differentiated by the caret. Recall now the changes that occurred in other homophone words that, from the time of the New orthographic agreement, no longer receive the differential accent:
♥péla (from the verb pelar) and pela (the union of the preposition with the article);
♥pole (the noun) and pole (the ancient and popular union of por and lo);
♥fur (from the verb pelar) and for the (the noun);
♥wait (the noun) and pear (the archaic noun meaning stone), as opposed to pear (the archaic preposition meaning to).
♥for (verbal form) and for (the preposition).
By Luana Castro
Graduated in Letters
