assertive construction
[/əˈsɜːrtɪv kənˈstrʌkʃən/]
nounpl: assertive constructions
🇧🇷 construção assertiva
1. A grammatical or rhetorical structure that makes a direct, confident, and unambiguous statement or claim, often used to express certainty, authority, or conviction without hedging or qualification
The assertive construction 'I will complete this project' demonstrates confidence compared to 'I might try to complete this project.'
A construção assertiva 'Vou completar este projeto' demonstra confiança em comparação com 'Posso tentar completar este projeto.'
2. In linguistics, a syntactic pattern that presents information as fact or certain rather than as possibility, doubt, or question
Using assertive construction in formal writing strengthens your argument and establishes authority.
Usar construção assertiva em textos formais fortalece seu argumento e estabelece autoridade.
💡 In Brazilian business and academic culture, assertive constructions are valued in professional communication as they convey confidence and clarity. However, Brazilian Portuguese also maintains a cultural emphasis on politeness, so assertive constructions are often balanced with courtesy markers. In American English contexts, assertive communication is highly valued in corporate and educational settings as a sign of leadership and competence.
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →