This book opens with Angelika Kratzer and Luigi Rizzi talking about contemporary issues, such as non-recursiveness of focus and the semantics of topics. The chapters climb down the spine from the left periphery to DP: the value of subjunctive across the history of German, expressive expressions in Brazilian Portuguese, left and right dislocation and the speaker's perspective in Italian, Brazilian double subjects and left dislocated topic, long versus short wh-movement in Brazilian Portuguese and Quebec French, low adverbs and the raising of the verb in Brazilian Portuguese, ellipsis and null objects in Brazilian and European Portuguese, and bare singulars in Brazilian Portuguese. The chapters propose original accounts for language variation and historical changes, most of them focusing on Brazilian Portuguese, a challenge to syntax and semantics. Thus, the volume contributes to Brazilian and Portuguese Linguistics, as well as to general and contemporary research on syntax and semantics of natural languages.

A comprehensive look at the syntactic properties of Portuguese, focusing on differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese such as their pronominal and agreement systems, null subjects, null complements and word order. It is essential reading for researchers and students of Portuguese language, Romance linguistics and theoretical syntax.

Publisher Description

This book describes the Portuguese-based Creole which is widely spoken as a first language in Guinea-Bissau. The study focuses on one variety, 'central Kriyol', and its main aim is to present a complete description of the grammar of the language. The theoretical framework for the syntactic analysis is purposely eclectic but relies primarily on Generalized Phrase Structure Grammar, and ample attention is paid to the cognitive or semantic dimension in the explanation of linguistic facts. After a short introduction on the history and phonology of the language and the organization of the study, there are chapters dealing with the simple sentence, Tense and Aspect, the noun phrase, the complex sentence, topicalization/focalization/questions, and Middles/Passives/Causatives. The final chapter discusses Kriyol texts, especially comic-books, from which a considerable number of examples used in the study are taken.

This volume addresses core issues on complement clauses, focusing on Portuguese (European, Brazilian and Mozambican varieties). It contributes to the discussion of complementation, providing an overview of how theoretical syntax and acquisition studies may combine to broaden our knowledge about the topic. The articles are organized in two sections, each one followed by a comment paper: the first section, more theoretical in its nature, gathers contributions analyzing major syntactic aspects of complementation in Portuguese, from a synchronic and a diachronic point of view; the second section includes articles on L1 and L2 acquisition of Portuguese complementation. Both sections especially focus on infinitival structures; mood selection and the interpretation of subjects in finite complement clauses are also topics of particular relevance. The volume is meant for researchers and students interested in formal syntax and acquisition in general and Portuguese syntax and acquisition in particular.

A practical reference guide to the most important aspects of modern European and Brazilian Portuguese, it presents a fresh and accessible description of the language combining and function-based grammar.

"The Portuguese Subjunctive: A Grammar Workbook is the first book devoted exclusively to understanding and mastering this challenging area of Portuguese grammar. The clear structure guides students through the six subjunctive tenses, providing them with concise and accurate explanations accompanied by a range of exercises to test and consolidate learning. Each chapter is designed to help students to progress from simple to more complex use of the language, with instructions initially set in English before moving to Portuguese, and exercises progressing from simple application to more advanced translation and "compare and contrast" tasks. This grammar workbook is ideal for intermediate to advanced learners of European or Brazilian Portuguese who wish to master the use of the subjunctive. It can be used as a supplementary in-class text as well as a resource for independent study"--