Brazil’s sensual Rio de Janeiro aiming for stylish syntax with grammar hotline

Brazil’s sensual Rio aims for stylish syntax

RIO DE JANEIRO — Fumbling for the right word? Stumped by syntax? Trying to figure out just what syntax means? Help is just a phone call away — at least if you live in Rio de Janeiro.

The Brazilian state’s government has created a grammar telephone hot line.

Eight language professors will answer calls Monday through Friday on questions about topics such as spelling, accents and agreement of verbs in Portuguese, the national language.

The creation of the hotline was published Tuesday in the Rio state assembly’s official gazette.

Rio is not the first Brazilian city to provide linguistically inquisitive residents with free answers. The city of Fortaleza started such a service three decades ago.