A study of hedging devices in conversations in Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchell

A study of hedging devices in conversations in Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchell Nghiên cứu các phương tiện rào đón trong các cuộc hội thoại của tác phẩm Cuốn theo chiều gió của n

A study of hedging devices in conversations in Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchell Nghiên cứu các phương tiện rào đón trong các cuộc hội thoại của tác phẩm Cuốn theo chiều

gió của nhà văn Margaret Mitchell

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Huyền

University of Languages and International Studies

M.A Thesis Linguistics: 60 22 15 Supervisor : Assoc Prof Dr Trần Xuân Điệp

Năm bảo vệ: 2012

Abstract The objectives of the research were to investigate the linguistic devices of

hedges and major pragmatic functions of identified hedges in the conversations in the novel of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Two levels of linguistic descriptions – the quantitative and pragmatic analysis mainly based on taxonomy of hedging devices by Yu (2009) and polypragmatic paradigm of hedges by Hyland (1998) – revealed that there are four main hedging categories used in the conversations

in the novel, namely, modal hedges, performative hedges, quantificational hedges and pragmatic-marker hedges, in which quantificational hedges (43.8%) are employed with the highest frequency, followed by modal hedges (34.8%), performative hedges (8.2%) and other minor types of tag questions, subjunctives, and depersonalization (5.7%) The research findings also pointed out that speaker-orientation, accuracy-orientation and hearer-accuracy-orientation are three main functions that identified hedging devices fulfill Among these types of function, speaker-oriented hedges (48.1%) emerge to be the most prominent, preceding accuracy-oriented hedges (45.7%) and hearer-oriented hedges (6.2%)

Keywords Tiếng Anh; Hội thoại; Ngôn ngữ

Content

The study is designed to include three main parts

Part 1: Introduction, presenting the research rationale, aims of the study, research

questions, implications of the research, study scope, methodology and the structure of the paper

Part 2: Development

Chapter1: Theoretical Background, including definitions of hedge, hedging

taxonomies, relationship between hedges and conversational maxims and

politeness strategies, and general information on Gone with the Wind

Chapter 2: Findings and Discussions, describing major hedging devices, their

linguistic realization and pragmatic functions in Gone with the Wind

Part 3: Conclusion, summarizing the major points, limitations, and suggestions for

further studies

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