The word can be classified separately, analyzing only its grammatical class, or it can be studied based on the function it establishes within the clause. If the object of study is the word, there is the morphological analysis. However, if the search is for its function in prayer, syntactic analysis arises.
When the analysis takes place in the scope of the word and the sentence, that is, when the study involves grammatical class and syntactic function, we have the Morphosyntax.
There are many doubts when this analysis is required. It is usually not explicitly requested. However, whenever the syntactic function is asked for, it is important to think about which part of speech the word belongs to. Doing so will make it easier to define your role.
Although the Portuguese language is not an exact science, in the case of morphosyntax it is possible to think more objectively, as the syntactic functions are defined in advance. For example, the adjective is a characterizer, so it will either be next to the name or relate to it. So, the only syntactic function of this grammatical class will be the adjoint adjunct. Therefore, it is better that the morphological analysis precedes the syntactic one.
If the analysis is morphological, what is the object of study? The word. Then, for a few minutes, imagine that the phrase doesn't exist, only the word. “Cut it” and indicate its part of speech. Put all your knowledge into practice. “Dialogue” with each word. Think about what part of speech it falls into. If doubts arise in the concepts of noun, numeral, article, pronoun, verb, adverb, preposition, adjective, conjunction and interjection, it is important to go back and review.
let's make the morphological analysis from the statement below, remember that the object of study is the word:
The test was very complicated.
THE: Article
Test: Substantive
He was: Verb
Very: adverb
Complicated: Adjective
After classifying the grammatical classes, we will analyze the syntactic function of each term. Go back to word classification and define your occupation within the prayer. Below are examples of questions that help to define the syntactic function of terms in prayer.
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What is the occupation of the article? Accompany the noun, isn't it? Syntactically, who has the occupation to come with the name? Adjunct. Therefore, every grammar class whose occupation is to accompany the name (numeral, adjective pronoun, article) will exercise syntactic function in adnominal assistant.
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And the noun? What occupation can exercise? Let's remember? Nucleus of the subject, the indirect object, the direct object, the predicative, the passive agent, the nominal complement and the bet. It can also exercise the functions of adjunct adjunct and adverbial adjunct, when composing adjective or adverbial phrases. What is the only term in the utterance we are analyzing that can play the role of the subject's nucleus? Test, it is not? Why? Because it's a noun.
What syntactic function will the verb have? If it is significant (intransitive, direct transitive, indirect, or direct and indirect) it will have the occupation of nucleus, that is, the most important part of the verbal or verb-nominal predicate. If its function is to link the subject to its predicative, it will have the function of linking verb. The verb of the utterance we are analyzing receives this classification.
Are there any adverbs? What is the only syntactic function performed by this part of speech? Adverbial adjunct nucleus. So, in the example, the word very (classification: intensity adverb - syntactic function: adverbial adjunct)
The adjective also appears in the example. What syntactic function will it play? It is important to remember that the adjective can be the nucleus of the adjunct and the subject's predicative. To define the function of the adjective, the question that must be asked is: where is the adjective positioned, next to a noun, in the noun phrase, or in the verb phrase? If it accompanies a name, its role will be adnominal adjunct. If it is in the verb phrase characterizing the subject, as in the case of the adjective ccomplicated, it will be a predicative of the subject, as it will be characterizing him.
Now, it's easy to classify the subject and predicate of the example, isn't it? If the subject is explicit and has only one nucleus, it will be a simple subject. If the predicate consists of a linking verb, it can only be a nominal predicate.
It is possible to see that, although to facilitate the study there is a division between morphology and syntax, form and function are inseparable. That's why the morphosyntax is so important.
By Mayra Pavan
Graduated in Letters
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
PAVAN, Mayra Gabriella de Rezende. "What is morphosyntax?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/portugues/o-que-e-morfossintaxe.htm. Accessed on July 27, 2021.