Eckhard Bick - VISL

seem to be ideal candidates for focus function, and the allowed positions for perigoso
and fazer isso in (i)-(iii) should therefore indicate the typical topology of (informationtheoretic)
topic and focus in Portuguese copula constructions:
Portuguese can place subject and subject complement on either side of the copula
verb (i), or both on the same side (preferably right). In the first case, the topic comes to
the left, in the second (both on the same side), it takes the last position. The focus
position is usually directly to the right of the copula, but fronted in the rather marked
case (ii), where both subject and complement precede the copula..
The nominal material involved in these constructions can be divided into 6
groups:
A definite NP, including names: a Moura, o número, o chefe, Maria,
3 dos melhores, um dos problemas
B personal pronouns in the nominative case and demonstrative pronouns:
ele, eu, isso, esse
C absolute relative nominal subclauses quem fala, que recebi
D infinitive subclauses, interrogative and que-subclauses:
fazer isso, retomar o controle
E attributives (adjectives, participles, demonstrative determiners and certain
"attributive" nouns without a determiner):
famoso, casado, chefe, presidente
F indefinite NP: um ladrão, amigos
These groups can be placed in the following ways:
with the subject in topic position and the predicative as focus
topic focus
subject predicative
1. ABCD ABCDEF
Maria é bonita.
Quem falta são os irmãos.
O chefe sou eu.
Retomar o controle foi difícil.
3 dos melhores eram doentes.
O problema era acabar com o bandido.
Essa [regra] é a regra da democracia americana.
O importante é que a sociedade saiba ...
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