21.4.3 antes que, antes de, antes

In some cases the same word can be adverb, conjunction and preposition and sometimes this distinction is not made in English. The conjunction is with que, the preposition with de and the adverb stands alone.

antes que = before (He did it before I could intervene.)
antes de = before (He did it before six o' clock.)
antes = before (He did it before.)
depois que = after (He did it after he had been informed.)
depois de = after (He did it after six o' clock.)
depois = later (He did it later.)


Decide in the following sentences whether a conjunction, a preposition or an adverb is to be used. To understand the structure of the sentences in detail, it is useful to remember what has been said in consecutio temporum and in the chapter about the conjuntivo. Furthermore it is useful to remember what has been said in the chapter infinitivo pessoal. In other words, the sequences of tenses has an impact as well in subordinated clauses introduced by a conjunction and in order to understand the difference between a verbal noun and an finite form we should understand that a verbal noun can only show up after a preposition and finite verb only after a conjunction.

We will be back bevor they realize that we have gone.
Estaremos de volta percebam que saímos.
After the death of his grandfather nobody have been living there any more.
Ningu�m mais viveu aqui seu avô morreu.
I want to be in the hotel before it is dark.
Quero chegar ao hotel escureça.
I propose that we continue after lunch.
Sugiro que continuemos almoço.
That was before.
Aquilo foi .
He came after she had gone.
Ele chegou ela tinha saído.
The wanted us to go out with them afterwards.
Queriam que nós saíssemos com eles .
We remained friends even after having divorced.
Nós ficámos amigos mesmo divorciados.
After or before, what is the difference?
ou depois, qual é a diferença?







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