English Editing for Brazilian Researchers: A Complete Guide

Brazil is one of the world's most prolific research nations. Brazilian universities and research institutions produce more internationally indexed publications than any other country in Latin America, and that output has grown consistently for two decades. The pressure on Brazilian researchers to publish in English-language journals has intensified under successive CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) evaluation frameworks, which weight Qualis A1 and A2 journal publications heavily in funding decisions, career advancement, and postgraduate program accreditation.

Writing in English at the standard required by international peer-reviewed journals is one of the most demanding tasks in Brazilian academic life. Brazilian Portuguese and English differ structurally in ways that produce specific, predictable patterns in English manuscripts. These patterns feel natural to the writer because they follow the logic of Portuguese grammar and Brazilian academic rhetorical conventions. They're immediately visible to native English editors and journal reviewers. This guide covers English editing for Brazilian researchers specifically: the writing patterns that most affect Brazilian manuscripts, the Brazilian research context, and how to use professional editing most effectively before submission.

The Brazilian Research Context

Brazil's research output is concentrated at a relatively small number of high-productivity institutions. The Universidade de São Paulo (USP), the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) account for a significant share of Brazil's internationally indexed publications. Researchers at these institutions, along with those at Brazil's federal universities and FAPESP-funded research centers in São Paulo state, face the same language quality standard as researchers at peer institutions in Europe and North America.

The CAPES Qualis system classifies journals by tier, with A1 at the top. Publishing in A1 and A2 journals matters for postgraduate program accreditation, researcher productivity assessments, and CNPq fellowship applications. Most A1 and A2 journals in every discipline are English-language international journals with rigorous peer review processes. English language quality is one of the most consistent reasons Brazilian manuscripts are desk rejected before reaching those peer reviewers.

How Brazilian Portuguese Influences English Academic Writing

The structural differences between Brazilian Portuguese and English produce specific writing patterns that appear consistently in Brazilian-authored English manuscripts. These patterns are not signs of insufficient English ability. They're predictable consequences of writing at an advanced academic level in a second language whose rhetorical conventions differ from those of the first. Understanding where they come from is the fastest way to address them systematically.

1. Long, Elaborated Sentences with Delayed Main Points

Brazilian academic prose, like European Portuguese academic writing, values formally elaborated sentences. Long, multi-clause sentences that build through qualification and context before arriving at the main claim are markers of intellectual rigor in Brazilian academic culture. In English academic writing, the same structure creates reading friction. English readers expect the main claim early, with supporting context following in shorter sentences.

This pattern is particularly pronounced in Brazilian academic writing because of the influence of the French academic tradition on Brazilian university culture. The elaborated, formally structured sentence that moves through thesis, qualification, and conclusion before arriving at its point is valued in Brazilian academic prose in ways it isn't in English.

Brazilian-influenced: "Given the complexity of the factors associated with the nutritional transition observed in the Brazilian population over the past three decades, and considering the limitations that have been identified in previous epidemiological studies that have addressed this phenomenon at the regional level, the present study proposes a more comprehensive analytical framework for understanding the relationship between socioeconomic development and dietary change."
Stronger in English: "Previous epidemiological studies of Brazil's nutritional transition have addressed the phenomenon at the regional level with inadequate analytical frameworks. This study proposes a more comprehensive approach to examining the relationship between socioeconomic development and dietary change."

The fix: if a sentence exceeds 25 words, look for a natural break point and split it. State the main claim first. Add context in the sentences that follow.

2. False Cognates from Portuguese

Portuguese and English share thousands of words derived from Latin. Many are genuine cognates. Many are false friends that look identical or nearly identical but mean something different in English. False cognates are particularly treacherous because they're invisible to grammar checkers and feel completely correct to the writer. The Portuguese word is right. Its English look-alike isn't.

The most consequential false cognates for Brazilian researchers include:

"Eventual" / "eventual." "Eventual" in Portuguese means possible or potential. "Eventual" in English means happening at some unspecified future point. "Eventual results" means results that will come eventually, not possible results. Write "possible" or "potential."
"Actual" / "actual." "Atual" in Portuguese means current or present. "Actual" in English means real or genuine. "The actual framework" means the real framework, not the current one. Write "current" or "present."
"Prejudice" / "prejudice." "Prejuízo" in Portuguese means harm, loss, or damage. "Prejudice" in English means bias or preconceived judgment. "The study caused prejudice to participants" does not mean the study harmed participants. Write "harm," "damage," or "detriment."
"Realize" / "realize." "Realizar" in Portuguese means to carry out, conduct, or perform. "Realize" in English means to become aware of something. "We realized a survey" sounds like the researchers suddenly noticed a survey existed. Write "we conducted a survey" or "we carried out a survey."
"Sensible" / "sensible." "Sensível" in Portuguese means sensitive or perceptible. "Sensible" in English means reasonable or practical. "A sensible increase" means a reasonable increase, not a perceptible one. Write "perceptible," "notable," or "appreciable."
"Polemic" / "polemic." "Polêmico" in Portuguese means controversial or contested. "Polemic" in English is a noun meaning a strong verbal attack, and "polemical" as an adjective carries a more aggressive connotation than the Portuguese equivalent. "This is a polemic topic" sounds more combative than the writer intends. Write "controversial" or "contested."
"Argument" / "argument." "Argumento" in Portuguese most commonly means a point, reason, or piece of evidence rather than a dispute. Brazilian researchers sometimes write "the arguments of this study" when they mean "the findings" or "the evidence." Verify usage in each context.

3. Overuse of the Definite Article

Portuguese uses the definite article more liberally than English. In Brazilian Portuguese, abstract nouns and general concepts take "o," "a," "os," or "as" as standard. "A pesquisa mostra que" (the research shows that), "o ensino é fundamental" (education is fundamental). Brazilian writers carry this pattern directly into English, using "the" before abstract nouns that refer to a concept in general, where English requires no article.

Incorrect: "The research suggests that the education plays a central role in the reduction of the inequality."
Correct: "Research suggests that education plays a central role in reducing inequality."

Incorrect: "The results indicate that the physical activity is associated with the improvement of the cognitive function."
Correct: "The results indicate that physical activity is associated with improved cognitive function."

The fix: check every instance of "the" before an abstract noun. Ask: am I referring to this concept in general, or to a specific instance already known to the reader? General reference takes no article. The most commonly over-articled abstract nouns in Brazilian academic English include: research, education, health, inequality, development, behavior, performance, society, and knowledge.

4. Dropped Subjects in Impersonal Constructions

Brazilian Portuguese is a pro-drop language. The grammatical subject of a sentence can be omitted when it's implied by the verb form. "É necessário considerar" is complete Portuguese because the verb form makes the impersonal subject unnecessary. English requires the subject to be stated explicitly in every clause. Brazilian writers carry the pro-drop pattern into English, producing sentences where the subject is missing.

Incorrect: "Is necessary to consider the limitations of this study."
Correct: "It is necessary to consider the limitations of this study."

Incorrect: "Was observed that the two variables are significantly correlated."
Correct: "It was observed that the two variables are significantly correlated." Or more directly: "The analysis revealed a significant correlation between the two variables."

The fix: check every verb in your manuscript. If a verb appears at or near the start of a clause without a preceding noun or pronoun subject in the same clause, add one. The most common missing subject in Brazilian academic English is "it" in impersonal constructions.

5. Passive and Impersonal Constructions at High Frequency

Brazilian academic writing uses passive and impersonal constructions extensively. "Foram coletados dados de 320 participantes" (data were collected from 320 participants) and "Observou-se que" (it was observed that) are standard in Brazilian scientific prose. These constructions signal scholarly objectivity and appropriate distancing from claims. In English, passive voice is acceptable in specific contexts but creates reading friction when used at the frequency typical of Brazilian academic writing.

Many international journals, particularly in the biomedical sciences, social sciences, and psychology, now explicitly prefer or require active voice in methods and results sections. This applies directly to the journals most relevant to CAPES A1 classification, including those published by Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley.

Brazilian-influenced: "It was decided to conduct a cross-sectional study in order to allow for the investigation of the relationship between the variables under examination."
Stronger in English: "We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationship between variables."

The fix: search your methods and results sections for "it was decided," "it was observed," "it was found that," "it was verified," and "it was noted." In most cases, replacing these impersonal frames with direct active constructions produces a cleaner sentence. Check your target journal's recent publications to determine whether active or passive voice is the norm in your specific field.

6. Preposition Errors from Portuguese

Portuguese prepositions don't map directly onto English prepositions. Brazilian writers frequently substitute prepositions based on Portuguese patterns, producing phrases that are immediately recognizable as non-native to English readers.

Common preposition errors from Brazilian Portuguese influence:

"Depends of" instead of "depends on." ("Depende de" in Portuguese maps to "depends on" in English, not "depends of.")
"In function of" instead of "as a function of" or "because of." ("Em função de" is a common Brazilian academic expression that doesn't translate directly.)
"In face of" instead of "in light of" or "given." ("Diante de" maps to several English equivalents but not "in face of.")
"Attend to" instead of "address" or "meet." ("Atender" in Portuguese means to meet a need or address a requirement. "The study attended to the need for..." sounds unusual in English. Write "The study addressed the need for...")
"Corroborate with" instead of "corroborate." ("Corroborar com" in Portuguese takes a preposition; "corroborate" in English doesn't. "These findings corroborate with previous research" should be "These findings corroborate previous research.")

7. Tense Errors by Section

Brazilian academic writing follows tense conventions that differ from English journal expectations. Portuguese academic writing doesn't apply the same strict section-by-section tense conventions that English journals require. Brazilian writers frequently use present tense throughout methods and results sections, or mix tenses within sections in ways that signal unfamiliarity with international journal standards.

The conventions English journals require:

Methods: past tense throughout. "Participants completed a questionnaire" not "Participants complete a questionnaire."
Results: past tense throughout. "The analysis revealed a significant effect" not "The analysis reveals a significant effect."
Introduction, established facts: present tense. "Obesity is a public health priority" not "Obesity was a public health priority."
Introduction, specific prior studies: past tense. "Silva and Costa (2022) found that..." not "Silva and Costa (2022) find that..."
Discussion, specific findings: past tense. "The results indicated that..." not "The results indicate that..."
Discussion, general claims: present tense. "These findings suggest that physical activity improves cognitive outcomes."

8. Conclusion Conventions

Brazilian academic conclusions often open by restating the research objectives or the research question, then summarize the argument or findings, and close with broader implications. This structure is taught and rewarded in Brazilian university education. English journal conclusions are expected to open with the main finding. A conclusion that begins "The objective of this study was to investigate..." reads to English journal editors as though the analysis hasn't started yet.

Brazilian-influenced: "The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status and dietary patterns in Brazilian adolescents. The findings confirmed the theoretical propositions advanced in previous literature and demonstrated the importance of considering socioeconomic factors in nutritional interventions."
Stronger in English: "Socioeconomic status is a significant predictor of dietary quality in Brazilian adolescents, with adolescents in the lowest income quartile showing substantially lower fruit and vegetable consumption than those in the highest quartile. These findings support the targeting of nutritional interventions to low-income populations and extend previous evidence by demonstrating the relationship in a nationally representative sample."

The fix: the first sentence of your discussion or conclusion should state your main finding. Not the objective. Not the method. The finding. If your current opening begins "The objective of this study was to..." or "This study aimed to..." replace it with a direct statement of what you found.

A Pre-Submission Checklist for Brazilian Researchers

Before submitting your manuscript to an international journal, run through these targeted checks:

Does the introduction contain an explicit gap statement positioned within the first two pages?
Do any sentences exceed 25 words with the main point delayed? Split and reorder them.
Have you checked for the most common Portuguese false cognates in your manuscript: eventual, atual, prejudício, realizar, sensível, polêmico? Verify each one.
Does "the" appear before any abstract noun used in a general sense? Remove it.
Does every clause have an explicit subject? Add "it" or "we" where missing.
Are impersonal passive frames ("it was decided," "it was observed," "it was verified") present in methods and results sections? Replace with direct active constructions where possible.
Are prepositions after key verbs correct: depends on (not of), corroborates (no preposition), addresses (not attends to)?
Are methods and results sections written in past tense throughout?
Does the discussion or conclusion open with the main finding, not a restatement of the research objective?
Does your target journal require a certificate of editing for non-native English authors? If yes, request one when submitting for editing.

The CAPES Certificate of Editing Requirement

Many international journals in the CAPES Qualis A1 and A2 tiers require authors from non-English-speaking countries to confirm that their manuscript was reviewed by a native English speaker before submission. This requirement appears in the Instructions for Authors of journals published by Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, Taylor and Francis, and many society publishers. For Brazilian researchers submitting to these journals, a certificate of editing is a practical requirement for submission, not an optional extra.

The certificate needs to confirm human native English editing. A certificate from a service that uses AI tools doesn't satisfy the requirement. Many journals specify this distinction explicitly. Editor World provides a certificate of editing on request at no additional charge, confirming that your manuscript was reviewed by a qualified native English speaker from the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada. It's issued as a PDF within 24 hours of manuscript delivery and can be uploaded directly to your journal's submission system.

Why Self-Editing Is Insufficient

Every pattern in this guide feels correct to the Brazilian researcher. "Eventual results" looks like the right phrase. The dropped subject sounds complete. The long elaborated sentence feels rigorous and thorough. The passive construction feels appropriately scholarly. These aren't signs of careless writing. They're deeply embedded habits formed over years of writing at a high academic level in Brazilian Portuguese.

Self-editing is unreliable for these patterns for a simple reason: the patterns that feel natural to you are the ones that stand out immediately to a native English reader. A native English editor who has worked extensively with Brazilian-authored manuscripts reads your text with completely different intuitions and identifies these patterns consistently throughout the document. The difference between a manuscript that is desk rejected on language grounds and one that reaches peer review is often a single professional editing pass that addresses these patterns before the manuscript reaches the journal editor's desk.

Professional English Editing for Brazilian Researchers

Editor World's ESL editing service and journal article editing service connect Brazilian researchers with native English editors who have subject matter expertise in their field. Every editor is a native English speaker from the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada. No AI tools are used at any stage.

You choose your own editor from verified profiles by discipline, credentials, and client ratings before submitting. A certificate of editing is provided on request at no additional charge. Turnaround times start at 2 hours, available 24/7. Use the instant price calculator for an exact quote, or browse available editors to find the right match for your manuscript.

For a broader overview of the English writing errors that affect non-native academic writers across all language backgrounds, read our article on common English writing mistakes non-native speakers make.

Content reviewed by Editor World editorial staff. Editor World provides professional English editing and proofreading services for academic researchers, graduate students, and business professionals worldwide.