Pragmatic functions of I in academic discourse: linguistic research articles

Abstract

This study presents comparative research focused on the frequency and usage of the 1st person singular pronoun I in linguistic research articles (RAs) written in English by native speakers of English and native speakers of Czech. Two specialized corpora, together comprising 80 RAs, were compiled for the purposes of this study. The study shows that in comparison to previous research, the use of I gradually increases in RAs of Czech authors but the device is still underused compared to RAs of native English speakers. The underuse is linked to longstanding traditions of Czech academic writing. Moreover, the pragmatic functions of propositions featuring I as an explicit authorial reference in the discourse (Stating opinions and claims, Discourse organisation and guidance, Research process recounting) were linked to the tenets of the Politeness theory, to show benefits and risks of exploiting implications that they carry.

Keywords

• comparative study
• explicit authorial reference
• personal pronoun I
• politeness theory
• research articles