Abstract

Nominalization is often employed to convey ideological information in English news reports. In the light of this hypothesis and on the basis of the “three meta-functions” from Systemic Functional Linguistics, this thesis takes some English news reports on “Scottish Referendum” as examples to explore the realization of the ideational functions, the interpersonal functions and the textual/discoursal functions of nominalization. For instance, thingness, abstraction, condensation and fuzziness are realized by the ideational function, the nominalization of modality and appraisal meaning by the interpersonal function, and the function of nominalization in relation to its role in a power structure by the textual function. The study suggests that nominalization can be resorted to by the speakers/writers to construct the specifically ideational, interpersonal and textual meanings according to his/her intentions. Thus, through the control of the world by the texts and manipulating the reader’s interpretation of the texts, advantageous power relations are well constructed, especially in line with the ideologies to be conveyed.

Key words: English News Reports on Scottish Referendum; Nominalization; “three meta-functions” of Systemic Functional Linguistics; ideology

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction-1

2 Nominalization and Its Meta-functions1

  2.1 Nominalization2  

  2.1.1 Definitions of Nominalization.2

  2.1.2 Types of Nominalization.2

  2.2 Three Meta-functions of Nominalization3

  2.2.1 Ideational Functions of Nominalization4

  2.2.2 Interpersonal Functions of Nominalization5

  2.2.3 Texual Functions of Nominalization.6 

3 The Realization of Functions of Nominalization in English News on  

  Scottish Referendum6 

3.1 The Realization of Ideational Functions6

3.1.1 Thingness.6

3.1.2 Abstraction7

3.1.3 Condensation8

3.1.4 Fuzziness.8

3.2 The Realization of Interpersonal Functions9

3.2.1 Nominalization of Mood.9

3.2.2 Nominalization of Evaluation9 

3.3 The Realization of Texual Functions.10

4 Conclusion11

  References.12