VÍRGULAS E SUAS (EXAUSTIVAS) POSSIBILIDADES DE USO

Abstract

The objective of this research is to analyze the many possibilities for the use of commas, presented in works from grammarians whose perspective is normative, such as: Bechara (2019), Cegalla (2020), Cunha and Cintra (2016), and Rocha Lima (2022), in comparison to the proposal by Dahlet (2006) upon the use of commas based on three principals (addition, subtraction, and inversion). The methodology of this research is that of quantitative nature, for it was used data collection to check whether or not the adequate use of commas displayed within 11 sentences in a questionnaire. 38 Students in the second year of Ensino Médio (junior year), from a private school in João Pessoa, took part in the research realization. The students should identify, in each sentence, if there was the adequate or inadequate use of commas in the sentences given. Results showed that most students identified the adequate use of commas. But at the same time, they found more difficulty when recognizing the adequate use of commas in sentences which information is interchanged or even out of the direct order. This shows us that solely by memorizing rules, for its own sake, is not enough to identify the right use of the sign in every situation. Therefore, one can conclude that teaching upon the use of commas cannot be grounded only by the explanation of rules, but the coverage of other aspects, as the discourse analysis in sentences as well.