What does the word “for” in “for many different reasons” indicate?
READ THE FOLLOWING TEXT AND CHOOSE THE OPTION WHICH BEST COMPLETES EACH
QUESTION ACCORDING TO THE TEXT:
Why do we buy into the 'cult' of overwork?
By Bryan Lufkin, 9th May 2021
Although many of us associate overly ambitious workaholism with the 1980s and the finance industry,
the tendency to devote ourselves to work and glamourize long-hours culture remains as pervasive as
ever. In fact, it is expanding into more sectors and professions, in slightly different packaging. Overwork
isn't a phenomenon exclusive to Silicon Valley or Wall Street. People work long hours all over the world,
for many different reasons.
In Japan, a culture of overwork can be traced back to the 1950s, when the government pushed hard for
the country to be rebuilt quickly after World War Two. In Arab League countries, burnout is high among
medical professionals, possibly because its 22 members are developing nations with overburdened
healthcare systems, studies suggest. Reasons for overwork also depend on industry. Some of the
earliest researchers on burnout in the 1970s asserted that many people in jobs geared toward helping
others, like employees in clinics or crisis-intervention centers, tended to work long hours that led to
emotional and physical exhaustion – a trend which is shown up in the pandemic, too. But millions of us
overwork because somehow, we think it’s exciting – a status symbol that puts us on the path to success,
whether we define that by wealth or an Instagram post that makes it seem like we're living a dream life
with a dream job. Romanticization of work seems to be an especially common practice among
"knowledge workers" in the middle and upper classes. In 2014, the New Yorker called this devotion to
overwork "a cult".
According to Anat Lechner, clinical associate professor of management at New York University. "We
glorify the lifestyle, and the lifestyle is: you breathe something, you sleep with something, you wake up
and work on it all day long, then you go to sleep. Again, and again and again."
Adapted from: Home - BBC Worklife.
Why do we buy into the 'cult' of overwork?
By Bryan Lufkin, 9th May 2021
Although many of us associate overly ambitious workaholism with the 1980s and the finance industry, the tendency to devote ourselves to work and glamourize long-hours culture remains as pervasive as ever. In fact, it is expanding into more sectors and professions, in slightly different packaging. Overwork isn't a phenomenon exclusive to Silicon Valley or Wall Street. People work long hours all over the world, for many different reasons.
In Japan, a culture of overwork can be traced back to the 1950s, when the government pushed hard for the country to be rebuilt quickly after World War Two. In Arab League countries, burnout is high among medical professionals, possibly because its 22 members are developing nations with overburdened healthcare systems, studies suggest. Reasons for overwork also depend on industry. Some of the earliest researchers on burnout in the 1970s asserted that many people in jobs geared toward helping others, like employees in clinics or crisis-intervention centers, tended to work long hours that led to emotional and physical exhaustion – a trend which is shown up in the pandemic, too. But millions of us overwork because somehow, we think it’s exciting – a status symbol that puts us on the path to success, whether we define that by wealth or an Instagram post that makes it seem like we're living a dream life with a dream job. Romanticization of work seems to be an especially common practice among "knowledge workers" in the middle and upper classes. In 2014, the New Yorker called this devotion to overwork "a cult".
According to Anat Lechner, clinical associate professor of management at New York University. "We glorify the lifestyle, and the lifestyle is: you breathe something, you sleep with something, you wake up and work on it all day long, then you go to sleep. Again, and again and again."
Adapted from: Home - BBC Worklife.
Gabarito comentado
Comentário do Gabarito:
Tema central: Esta questão avalia o entendimento do uso da preposição “for” em inglês, especialmente seu papel em indicar a causa ou razão de uma ação, como em “for many different reasons”. Este é um ponto clássico em provas vestibulares, pois exige não só conhecimento gramatical, mas também interpretação precisa de textos.
Explicação teórica: Em inglês, “for” pode assumir múltiplas funções, como:
- Causa/Razão: He was punished for being late. (“por estar atrasado”)
- Finalidade: This tool is for writing. (“para escrever”)
No trecho em análise — "People work long hours all over the world, for many different reasons" — percebemos que “for” introduz as causas que motivam o comportamento mencionado. Ou seja, o motivo (a causa) pelo qual as pessoas trabalham tanto.
Justificativa da alternativa correta (B): A alternativa B) A cause é correta porque, neste contexto, “for” sinaliza a razão ou causa da ação (trabalhar longas horas). Essa leitura está em plena concordância com referências clássicas de gramática da língua inglesa, como “English Grammar in Use”, de Raymond Murphy, que aponta o uso de “for” em situações similares.
Análise das alternativas incorretas:
- A) Condition: “For” não é utilizada para expressar condição. Termos como if e unless cumprem essa função.
- C) Consequence: “For” não indica consequência. Expressões como so ou therefore assumem esse papel no inglês.
- D) Finality: Embora “for” possa, em alguns contextos, introduzir finalidade (“This is for you”), aqui explícita a causa, não a finalidade do ato.
Dica de prova: Sempre observe as palavras que seguem a preposição “for”; se elas explicam o motivo de uma ação, a preposição indica causa! Fique atento para não confundir com finalidade ou consequência, que são armadilhas frequentes em questões de interpretação.
Gostou do comentário? Deixe sua avaliação aqui embaixo!
