Processamento de construções ambíguas com gerúndio no Português Brasileiro

Abstract

In Brazilian Portuguese, psycholinguistic studies on gerund processing are still quite limited, especially compared to research on other language phenomena. Even though the gerund is widely used in both spoken and written language, its role in syntactic and semantic structures hasn’t been deeply explored. This study examines how the gerund affects sentence interpretation at the semantic level while also considering its syntactic implications. By investigating the interaction between syntax and semantics, the research aims to understand how ambiguities created by gerunds are processed by Brazilian Portuguese speakers, shedding light on lesser-studied aspects of this grammatical structure. Through a self-paced reading experiment, the study explores the impact of semantic congruence in gerunds on resolving sentence ambiguities, focusing on how these elements shape participants’ interpretation and comprehension. It also examines the effects of Local Attachment, a syntactic principle within the Garden-Path Theory. The main objectives are: (i) to assess how semantic congruence in gerunds, linked either to the subject of the main clause or the object, influences ambiguity resolution (e.g., pilot – driving; salesperson – selling); (ii) to investigate how the verb type in the main clause (perception or action verbs) affects sentence interpretation and its role in resolving ambiguities; (iii) to analyze how semantic congruence impacts the assignment of high or low attachment. The study is grounded in the Construal Hypothesis (Frazier & Clifton, 1996) and draws on prior research on the gerund in Portuguese by Moutella (1995), Foltran (1999, n.d.), Lobo (2001, 2003, 2006, 2009), Rodrigues (2006, 2007, 2010, 2012), and Lopes (2004). The experimental sentences were designed to introduce ambiguities, particularly in gerundive constructions where the gerund could refer to either the subject of the main clause or the object. Each sentence includes a gerund semantically tied to one of the noun phrases, with the verb in the main clause alternating between perception and action verbs. The results indicate a strong preference for local attachment in structurally ambiguous gerundive constructions in Brazilian Portuguese. Semantic congruence has a significant impact, suggesting that the interplay between structure and semantics, favoring low attachment, leads to more consistent interpretations. This interaction confirms the parser’s initial tendencies, while the verb type primarily influences reaction times at the critical segment without significantly affecting participants’ overall responses.