TITLE:
Detecting Verbal Cues of True and False Reported Speech
AUTHORS:
Edona Jahiu
KEYWORDS:
Reported Speech, Pragma-Linguistic Cues, Veracity, True/False RS, Discursive Features, Epistemic Modals, Personal Assessments
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.11 No.9,
September
19,
2023
ABSTRACT: This study examines pragma-linguistic cues and modal
expressions of (un)true reported speech after confirmation of
their veracity by the reporter in the end of
conversations. From an inspection of 31 conversations between friends which
contained RS, we seek to align discursive features according to truth-value of utterances. In addition, surrounding elements
(shielding/evaluative parts) will be analyzed to show implications of RS
according to speaker and his/her subjective assessment about reported
statement. Article attempts to identify prominent verbal cues of true/false
reports and their parts, according to pragmatic function. Respondents were
instructed to be persuasive in both cases and use constructions they apply in
real life when they’re (in)sincere while transmitting others’ statements.
Findings show that true RS contain more uncertain epistemic modals on
peripheral parts, don’t insist on compelling their evaluations to interlocutor,
while personal assessment is main part on liar’s mind, because there is
expressed his/her intent for lying.