The cognitive model and functions of English reciprocal constructions in the text

Abstract

The study aims to identify the cognitive model and functions of English reciprocal constructions in the text. The article analyzes the semantic, cognitive, and pragmatic properties of these constructions. The study is novel in that it is the first one to describe the cognitive structure realized in English reciprocal constructions, to identify the role of reciprocal pronouns in shifting the perspective of the utterance, and to determine the functions of reciprocal constructions and pronouns in text formation and development. The study reveals that English reciprocal constructions differ in their perspective on the situation described. It is shown that the presence or absence of reciprocal pronouns within the syntactic structure of the construction influences the perspective of the utterance. The article demonstrates that reciprocal pronouns describe the change in roles of participants in a symmetrical situation, while their absence leads to the interpretation of the action as simultaneous with two Agents acting consciously, purposefully, and controlling the situation. Constructions describing a change in roles represent an action with two participants, each of whom is both the initiator of the action (Agent) and the endpoint of that action (Patient). An empirical analysis of authentic English texts shows that reciprocal constructions in English thematize communicatively significant participants of the situation, contributing to their retention in the focal attention during the unfolding of discourse, ensuring the coherence and dynamism of the text. The speaker in reciprocal constructions acts as an observer, creating the effect of a real observable event and involvement in the situation. The results show that reciprocal pronouns, by focusing on the change in roles of participants in the situation, contribute to a multi-faceted description of interaction, allowing the addressee to more vividly and clearly visualize the described event.

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About this article

Publication history

• Received: October 2, 2024.
• Published: November 14, 2024.

Keywords

• взаимная конструкция
• симметричная ситуация
• симметричный глагол
• ракурс описания ситуации
• мена ролей
• reciprocal construction
• symmetrical situation
• symmetrical verb
• perspective of description
• change in roles

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