Normative grammar is what we use at school. It brings together the rules that we should use to speak and write Portuguese, at a given time, in accordance with the educated norm. The main parts of normative grammar are Phonetics, Morphology and Syntax.
- Phonetics: studies the sounds we make when we speak, phonemes.
- Morphology: studies words, from their structure and formation to their forms of inflection.
- Syntax: studies the function and relationship between words and sentences.
Through normative grammar, we learn the use of language according to the guidance of grammarians, the people who are dedicated to studying and teaching grammar.
What normative grammar teaches
In normative grammar we learn the rules of spelling, syllable division and accentuation. We also learn each of the classes of words, phrase, sentence, period, essential terms, members and accessories of the sentence.
In the main parts of normative grammar we find the norms for the following topics.
Phonetics
- diphthong
- triphthong
- gap
- consonant cluster
- digraph
- syllabic division
- oxytone
- paroxytone
- proparoxytone
- orthography
- accentuation
Morphology
- word structure
- word formation
- substantive
- article
- adjective
- numeral
- pronoun
- verb
- adverb
- preposition
- conjunction
- interjection
- connective
Syntax
- phrase
- prayer
- period
- subject
- predicate
- direct object
- indirect object
- nominal complement
- passive agent
- adnominal assistant
- adverbial adjunct
- I bet
- vocative
- punctuation marks
- agreement
- regency
Types of grammar
In addition to normative grammar, which contains the norms of the Portuguese language, there are other types of grammar: descriptive, historical and comparative grammar.
Descriptive grammar: studies aspects of the language and does not define rules, but rather describes and records them.
Historical grammar: studies the language from its origins to the transformations it undergoes over time.
Comparative grammar: studies the language by making a comparison with languages belonging to the same linguistic families. For example, Indo-European is the Latin language family, which gave rise to Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, among others.
Difference Between Normative Grammar and Descriptive Grammar
The difference between normative grammar and descriptive grammar is the objective of each of them.
A normative grammar It aims to bring together the standards for speaking and writing Portuguese, in accordance with traditional standards, that is, its nature is pedagogical.
A descriptive grammar It aims to describe and record the phonetic, morphosyntactic and lexical aspects of the language. It does not define the standards, it only describes them, that is, its nature is scientific.
Read too:
Grammar
Commented Portuguese grammar exercises (High School)
Bibliographic references
BECHARA, Evanildo. Modern Portuguese Grammar. 37. ed. Rio de Janeiro: New Frontier, 2009.
CEGAALLA, Domingos Paschoal. Brand new grammar of the Portuguese language. 49. ed. São Paulo: Companhia Editora Nacional, 2020.
LIMA, Rocha. Normative Grammar of the Portuguese Language. 49. ed. Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio, 2011.
FERNANDES, Márcia. Normative grammar: what it is and what it teaches.All Matter, [n.d.]. Available in: https://www.todamateria.com.br/gramatica-normativa/. Access at:
See too
- Grammar
- Commented Portuguese grammar exercises (High School)
- Phonetics and Phonology: what they study
- Vowel, Semivowel and Consonant
- Consonant clusters
- Digraph
- What are phonemes (with examples)
- What are the consonants and their classifications