Phrase · 📰 Journalistic style
O prefeito negou ter conhecimento do esquema.
The mayor denied any knowledge of the scheme.
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Why every word is where it is
Odeterminerthemasc. · sing. · definiteprefeito1nounmayormasc. · sing.negou2verbdeniednegar · past · 3rd sing.ter2verbhavinginfinitiveconhecimento2nounknowledgemasc. · sing.doprepositionof thede+o · masc. · sing. · definiteesquema3nounschememasc. · sing..
- prefeito → negou: subject–verb
- negou → ter: negar + infinitive
- conhecimento → do: conhecimento de
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1prefeito = mayor (not «prefect»); his office is the prefeitura.
- 2negar + infinitive with the same subject: negou ter conhecimento = denied knowing; no que needed. Sequence of tenses & reported speech II →
- 3esquema = (illegal) scheme, racket, in crime reports.