Constructional approach of subject-verb order as a focusing strategy in Brazilian Portuguese

Abstract

In the present work, we present the first results of an ongoing research that aims to map the synchronous configuration of part of the focus construction network in Brazilian Portuguese. Thus, from the theoretical-methodological assumptions of Usage-based Functional Linguistics (LFCU), we seek to describe the formal and functional characteristics of active and passive constructions licensed by the schema [(X) VSN]FOC, and represented, respectively, by the pairings [(X) VSN]ATV and [(X) VAUXVPPSN]]PAS. Although these constructions present similarities on form, concerning focalization they differ from each other: active constructions tend to present the NP focused, instead of the role sentence as we could attest most frequently in passive ones.

Keywords

• linguística funcional centrada no uso
• gramática de construções
• rede construcional
• ordem vs
• focalização.