| Popis: |
The study looks at passive structures with say and tell in US Supreme Court opinions and it explores their diachronic developments (1790s–present) as well as examines their evidential and discourse-organising uses. The analysis focuses on it is said (that) and the present-tense variants of the BE said to and BE told (that) constructions, and it reveals that the structures report information which is attributable to named sources, found in the co-text, as well as ensure cohesion and mark progression in the text. The data also demonstrate that it is said (that) came out of fashion in the second half of the 20th century, whereas we are told (that) became more frequent in the second decade of the 20th century. The least variability was noted in the case of the BE said to construction. Taken together, the trends seem to indicate a move away from impersonal discourse towards a more direct style. |
