The use of demonstratives in journalistic discourse

Abstract

<P>THIS THESIS INVESTIGATES THE USE OF THE ENGLISH DEMONSTRATIVES THIS AND THAT IN JOURNALISTIC DISCOURSE AND EXAMINES THE CRITICAL FACTORS THAT MOTIVATE THE CHOICE OF ONE EXPRESSION OVER ANOTHER TO REFER TO AN ENTITY. THE NOTION OF FOCUS IS SHOWN TO BE THE MOST CRITICAL FACTOR IN THE WRITERA??S CHOICE OF DEMONSTRATIVE REFERENCE, WHERE THIS SIGNALS A HIGH LEVEL OF FOCUS, AND THAT, A COMPARATIVELY LOWER LEVEL OF FOCUS. BOTH MODIFIER DEMONSTRATIVES (E.G., THIS IN THIS THESIS) AND HEAD DEMONSTRATIVES (E.G., THIS IN THIS IS A THESIS) WERE ANALYSED. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THE SALIENCE OF THE REFERENT, WHETHER AT THE SENTENCE LEVEL OR AT THE GLOBAL DISCOURSE LEVEL, IS THE PRIMARY MOTIVATING FACTOR DETERMINING THE LEVEL OF FOCUS TO ATTACH TO THE REFERENT, AND ADDITIONALLY, TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER OTHER PRAGMATIC FACTORS, INCLUDING WHETHER OR NOT THE REFERENT IS NEW OR GIVEN INFORMATION. HOWEVER, WHERE THE WRITER NEEDS TO ESTABLISH A REFERENT IN THE UNIVERSE OF DISCOURSE, SUCH AS IN SITUATION