ENEM Languages and Codes Syllabus

Languages and Codes syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Languages and Codes in ENEM, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Portuguese Language

   4 topics

   • Grammar
   • Text Interpretation
   • Literature
   • Writing
2. 2

   Foreign Languages

   2 topics

   • English
   • Spanish
3. 3

   Arts

   4 topics

   • Visual Arts
   • Music
   • Theater
   • Dance
4. 4

   Physical Education

   3 topics

   • Sports
   • Health and Wellness
   • Body Awareness
5. 5

   Information Technology

   3 topics

   • Basic Concepts
   • Internet
   • Office Software

Languages and Codes flashcards for ENEM

25 of 50 cards from the Languages and Codes deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In grammar, what is the difference between a phoneme and a grapheme?

   A phoneme is the smallest unit of distinctive sound in a language, while a grapheme is the written symbol (letter or letters) used to represent it. One phoneme can map to several graphemes and vice versa.

2. What are the three types of syntactic subject (sujeito) in Portuguese grammar?

   Sujeito simples (one core/nucleus), sujeito composto (two or more nuclei), and sujeito oculto/desinencial (implied by the verb ending). There is also the oração sem sujeito (subject-less clause).

3. Define the grammatical concept of 'regência verbal'.

   Regência verbal is the syntactic relationship between a verb and its complements, determining whether the verb requires a preposition and which one (e.g., 'assistir a um filme' vs 'assistir um doente').

4. What is the difference between 'crase' and a simple accent in Portuguese?

   Crase is the fusion of the preposition 'a' with the article 'a(s)' or with pronouns, marked by the grave accent (à). It is not a simple stress accent; it signals contraction, as in 'Vou à escola' (a + a).

5. List the ten word classes (classes gramaticais) in Portuguese.

   Substantivo (noun), artigo (article), adjetivo (adjective), numeral, pronome (pronoun), verbo (verb), advérbio (adverb), preposição (preposition), conjunção (conjunction), and interjeição (interjection).

6. In text interpretation, what is the difference between denotation and connotation?

   Denotation is the literal, dictionary meaning of a word; connotation is the figurative, subjective, or emotional meaning it acquires in context. Literary and advertising texts often rely on connotation.

7. What is textual 'coesão' versus 'coerência'?

   Coesão is the surface-level grammatical/lexical linking of elements (connectors, pronouns, repetition). Coerência is the logical, meaningful sense of the text as a whole. A text can be cohesive yet incoherent.

8. Define 'intertextualidade' and give two of its forms.

   Intertextuality is the dialogue between texts, where one references another. Common forms include citação (quotation), paráfrase (restating an idea), paródia (subverting for critique/humor), epígrafe, and alusão.

9. What are the main text types (tipologia textual) tested in ENEM interpretation?

   Narrativo (narration), descritivo (description), dissertativo-argumentativo (argumentation), dissertativo-expositivo (exposition), and injuntivo/instrucional (instruction/command).

10. What is the function of an argumentative thesis (tese) in a text?

    The tese is the central point of view the author defends. All arguments, evidence, and reasoning in the text should support and develop this thesis, giving the text its argumentative direction.

11. Which literary movement is characterized in Brazil by 'Romantismo' and what are its key traits?

    Romantismo (early-to-mid 19th century) emphasizes subjectivity, idealization of love and nature, nationalism, the 'indianismo' (idealized indigenous hero), sentimentalism, and escapism. Key authors: José de Alencar, Gonçalves Dias, Álvares de Azevedo.

12. What defines the Brazilian 'Modernismo' movement launched in 1922?

    Launched by the Semana de Arte Moderna (1922), Modernismo broke with academic tradition, valuing free verse, colloquial language, national identity, everyday themes, and formal experimentation. Key figures: Mário de Andrade, Oswald de Andrade, Manuel Bandeira.

13. Contrast Realismo and Romantismo in Brazilian literature.

    Romantismo idealizes reality with emotion and subjectivity; Realismo (late 19th c.) portrays life objectively and critically, analyzing society, human flaws, and hypocrisy. Machado de Assis's 'Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas' (1881) marks the start of Realismo.

14. What are the defining features of Barroco (Baroque) literature?

    Barroco is marked by contrast and conflict (faith vs reason, body vs soul), extravagant ornamentation, and two styles: cultismo (wordplay/imagery, 'gongorismo') and conceptismo (elaborate logic/argument). Gregório de Matos is a key Brazilian author.

15. What is a 'soneto' (sonnet) and how is it structured?

    A sonnet is a fixed poetic form of 14 lines arranged in two quartetos (4-line stanzas) followed by two tercetos (3-line stanzas), traditionally in decasyllable or Alexandrine meter with a defined rhyme scheme.

16. In the ENEM writing (redação), what are the five competencies evaluated?

    Competência 1: formal Portuguese norms; C2: understanding the theme/dissertative-argumentative structure; C3: selecting and organizing arguments; C4: cohesion/linguistic mechanisms; C5: intervention proposal respecting human rights. Each is worth up to 200 points (1000 total).

17. What structure should the ENEM dissertative-argumentative essay follow?

    An introduction presenting the theme and thesis, a development of two to three paragraphs each defending an argument with repertoire/evidence, and a conclusion with a detailed intervention proposal (agent, action, means, purpose, and detailing).

18. What five elements must a complete ENEM intervention proposal (proposta de intervenção) contain?

    Agente (who acts), ação (what is done), modo/meio (how it is done), finalidade/efeito (the purpose), and detalhamento (a specific detail of any element). All five earn full marks in Competência 5.

19. In English grammar, when do you use the Present Perfect versus the Simple Past?

    Present Perfect (have/has + past participle) links a past action to the present or leaves time unspecified ('I have visited Paris'). Simple Past refers to a finished action at a specific past time ('I visited Paris in 2019').

20. What is the difference between 'much', 'many', and 'a lot of' in English?

    'Much' is used with uncountable nouns (much water), 'many' with countable plural nouns (many books), and 'a lot of' works with both and is preferred in affirmative sentences (a lot of water/books).

21. In English, how are the first, second, and third conditionals distinguished?

    First conditional (real future): If + present, will + verb. Second (unreal present/future): If + past, would + verb. Third (unreal past): If + past perfect, would have + past participle.

22. What is a 'false cognate' (false friend) in English for Portuguese speakers? Give an example.

    A false cognate is a word that looks similar in two languages but has a different meaning. Example: 'actually' means 'na verdade' (not 'atualmente'), and 'pretend' means 'fingir' (not 'pretender').

23. In Spanish, what are the singular personal subject pronouns?

    Yo (I), tú/vos (informal you), usted (formal you), él (he), and ella (she). 'Usted' takes third-person verb conjugation despite meaning 'you'.

24. What is 'apócope' in Spanish grammar? Give an example.

    Apócope is the dropping of the final sound/letters of a word before certain nouns. Example: 'bueno' becomes 'buen' before a masculine singular noun ('buen día'), and 'grande' becomes 'gran' ('gran ciudad').

25. What are the main Spanish 'heterosemánticos' (false friends) and give one example?

    Heterosemánticos are words spelled similarly to Portuguese but with different meanings. Example: 'exquisito' means 'delicioso/refinado' (not 'estranho'), and 'embarazada' means 'grávida' (not 'envergonhada').

See more Languages and Codes flashcards →

Planning Languages and Codes for ENEM

Languages and Codes (ENEM) FAQ