Approval or Denial? Role of Various Language Tools in Objection under the Guise of Consent Tactics (An Analysis of Newspaper Speech)

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Elena V. Uzdinskaya

PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, Faculty of Journalism, Saratov State University, Saratov, Russia

e-mail: levitzky@mail.ru

Section: Media Language

The article deals with the functions of the tactics “objection in the disguise of agreement” in the newspaper text; the language means defining the effect of the above-mentioned tactics are researched. The analysis of the material has revealed that the language means and techniques applied in this tactics express, on the one hand, readiness to cooperate with the opponent, and on the other hand, they demonstrate the superiority of the author’s opinion over the one of the opponent. At the same time the information in the right-hand part of the corresponding structure (“disagreement zone”) is represented as more important as compared to the information in the left-hand part (“agreement zone”). The method of language means usage allows to consider the stated tactics not only as the means of softening the straightforwardness of speech, but also as the means of manipulating the addressee.

Keywords: tactics, objection, agreement, objection in the disguise of agreement, softening the straightforwardness, manipulating