At the limits of permission: functions performed by the verbs poder (can) and dever (must) in the FUNDEB’s guidelines Manual

Abstract

This paper presents some results from research on the role of modalization played by the verbs ‘poder’ (can) and ‘dever’ (must) in instructional texts. The research aimed to examine how these verbs behave in the relationship between the act of permission or possibility and the act of regulation/order. The research was directed to the FUNDEB’s Manual, considering its particular function of ruling the use of public resources by States, Federal District and Municipalities. Therefore, this material characterizes a context of interlocution established in the legal field, and, consequently, it constitutes a feasible corpus for the analysis of the modalization process, particularly when it refers to the deontic level. According to the analyses carried out, the verb ‘poder’ can be used to guide the reader towards the actions that must be performed under an act of order previously established. This act of order is signaled by the verb ‘dever’, and this is the reason by which this study attempts to demonstrate the relationship between the two verbs in texts that regulate actions in the public domain. In addition, it was possible to notice that the verb ‘poder’ can guide the reader towards the existence of reservations/exceptions/possibilities based on the actions established at the obligatory level, meaning that is conveyed by the verb ‘dever’.