earticle

영어

This study discusses the cognitive effects of wh-clefts based on a cognitive-functional approach. The main purpose of this study is to present a cognitive framework for the cognitive-functional analysis of the relationship between the syntactic structure of wh-clefts and their discourse-motivated pragmatic functions. This study introduces the conceptual (or cognitive) notion of wh-cleft and argues that the cognitively salient structural properties of wh-clefts contribute crucially to their diverse discourse-pragmatic functions. It proposes that the cognitive structure of wh-clefts allows the speaker/writer to project effectively what she/he wishes to deliver through the cognitively salient process of information, creating topicalizing and focusing effects, a background effect, and the speaker/writer-oriented strategies for a communication effect in the flow of discourse.