Impersonalisation and reference in English and Spanish: evidence from newspaper discourse

Abstract

In this chapter I investigate the use of impersonal pronouns and other non-specific NPs in semantically impersonal constructions in newspaper reports in English and Spanish. These linguistic strategies are used by the writer in order to hide and mitigate the agency or avoid culpability. In English the impersonal use of ‘we’ and ‘they’ often occur as “corporative” reference to non-specific groups of individuals. In Spanish their omission may perform the same function. Other impersonalisation strategies include the use of indefinite pronouns with a generic or ‘vague’ interpretation, other non-specific NPs ranging from generic ones, such as ‘people’, to more specific and modified NPs referring to a single individual or groups of individuals, whose identity is still not fully specified.