1887
Volume 2, Issue 2
  • ISSN 1388-8951
  • E-ISSN: 1569-9722
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

The ambiguity of the we-referent in internal communication documents can make text interpretation difficult. We analyzed the 1999 issues of the ’Maxi Guide’, the weekly top-down briefing of a large Belgian distribution chain. In relational and hybrid texts in particular, the referent of the pronoun often changes within the same text without any textual or graphic indicator.This article will first describe how the use of we is avoided. In total seven strategies were detected (e.g., perspective changes, non-finite clauses, elliptical sentences). They will be explained and illustrated with examples translated from both French and Dutch. Next, the article will outline how we itself operates as an evasive strategy. The examples will demonstrate how similar strategies are used in the two languages.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/dd.2.2.10die
2000-01-01
2025-02-12
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/dd.2.2.10die
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error