Between form and function: tense–mood alternation in conditional clauses from a sociofunctional perspective

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the phenomenon of tense–mood alternation in verbal combinations articulated in conditional sentences, within a sociofunctional interface. Alternative uses of conditionality demonstrate that the production of hypothetical sentences goes beyond the canonical patterns described in traditional grammatical handbooks. In light of the articulation between Variationist Sociolinguistics and Linguistic Functionalism, such verbal alternations cannot be understood as random choices. Rather, these uses reveal systematic influences resulting from the conditioning of both linguistic and extralinguistic factors, which guide the variable use of this phenomenon. Through an expanded reflection on conditional sentences, variable and fully legitimate realizations in real contexts of use are described. This study is based on the assumption that the analysis of language in use should not be restricted to the strictly syntactic domain, making it essential to also consider the functional aspects of the phenomenon under investigation. Furthermore, the study presents the extensive envelope of variation of verbal combinations identified in the analysis, as well as the systematic behavior observed across the different contexts of conditionality examined. The results show that different tense–mood articulations are not randomly distributed, but rather display strong associations with specific semantic–discursive contexts. Each combination appears to operate in preferential linguistic environments, forming distinct “usage niches,” as evidenced by the investigation of Brazilian Portuguese as spoken in the city of Vitória, Espírito Santo.