Textual relations generated by the argumentative operator “but” in opinion texts

Abstract

This article shows the results of a research on the use of the conjunction "but”, based on studies carried out by Ducrot (1984) and Schiffrin (1987). The relations adjacent to the more direct structures built by this conjunction, especially in opinion texts, are considered in this study. The text “Muita informação, pouco conhecimento”, published in the “Observatório da Imprensa” newspaper, was selected for the present work. This text, like many others, includes recurrent uses of “but” not traditionally predicted, since they are used for acts linked to assertions, which are inserted in certain points of the textual chain. It is referred here, more properly, to the argumentative movement established by the connector in face of the nearby utterances, both those previously presented and those inserted in the follow-up.