Understatements and Hedges in English
Author
The goal of this monograph is a comprehensive analysis of understatements and other forms of non-direct speech (hedges) in modern English. It is based on a multi-level approach, including philosophical, cultural, and socio-psychological arguments. The main part consists of an investigation of the linguistic restrictions for understatements and hedges to be formed by means of the following grammatical categories: negation of predicates, gradation of predicates, modalization of affirmative sentences by means of parenthetical verbs, modal adverbs, modal verbs, and questions.
[Pragmatics & Beyond, IV:6] 1983. ix, 192 pp.
Publishing status: Available
© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Table of Contents
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Preface | p. ix
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0. Introduction | p. 1
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1. Guidelines to Understatements and Hedges | p. 9
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1.1. The sentence and its negatability
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1.2. Liability constraints of the sentence
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1.3. Working definition and working perspective
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2. Phrastic Indetermination as a Device for Forming Understatements | p. 27
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2.1. Negation of predicates
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2.2. Detensification of predicates by grading adverbs
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3. Neustic Indetermination as a Device for Forming Hedges | p. 97
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3.1. Factivity and modality
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3.2. Questions
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3.3. Modalized assertory assertions
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3.4. Summary
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4. Communicative Conditions for Understatements and Hedges | p. 155
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4.1. Another look at negatability of sentences
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4.2. Communication as a possible threat to face
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4.3. Understatements and hedges as face saving strategies
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4.4. Face threatening acts and face saving strategies exemplified by praise and criticism
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4.5. Summary
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Footnotes | p. 171
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Subjects
Main BIC Subject
CF: Linguistics
Main BISAC Subject
LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General