The Use of the Passive Voice in Selected Native and Non-Native English Editorials: A Corpus Based Study

Document Type : Original Article

Abstract

This research is a corpus-based study of the use of the passive voice in
the depiction of the Syrian and Palestinian conflict in
The New York
Times
and Al-Ahram weekly editorials in 2015. The data are analyzed
quantitatively using Clusters/N Grams tool in the Antconc 3.4.4Software
to find out the rates and distributions of the passive sentences in both
newspapers. Afterwards, explanations and clarifications of these results are
completed qualitatively using the framework of the socio-cognitive
approach of Van Dijk (2000). Special consideration is devoted to how the
use of the passive voice reveals hidden ideologies in the examination of
the Middle East Politics.


Keywords


References
Baker, P. (2010). Sociolinguistics and Corpus Linguistics. Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press.
Baker, P., Gabrielatos, C., Khosravinik, M., Krzyżanowski, M., McEnery, T.,
& Wodak, R. (2008). A Useful Methodological Synergy? Combining
Critical Discourse Analysis and Corpus Linguistics to Examine
Discourses of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the UK Press.
Discourse & Society, 19(3), 273-306.
Biber, D. (2011). Corpus Linguistics and the Study of Literature. Back to
Future?
Scientific Study of Literature, 1(1), 15-23.
Billig, M. (2008). The Language of Critical Discourse Analysis: The Case of
Nominalization.
Discourse & Society, 19 (6), 783-800.
Crystal, D. (1993). The Structure of Language. In R. Beard (ed.),
Teaching Literacy: Balancing Perspectives (London: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1993), 15-21. Revised reprint of Ch. 1 of Child
Language, Learning and Linguistics.
Fairclough, N. (1989).
Language and Power. London: Longman.
Fairclough, N. (1992).
Discourse and Social Change. Cambridge: Polity
Press.
Fowler, R. (1986).
Linguistic Criticism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fowler, R. (1991).
Language in the News. Discourse and Ideology in the
Press
. London: Routledge.
Fowler, R. (1996). On Critical Linguistics. In C. R. Caldas-Coulthard & M.
Coulthard (eds.),
Texts and Practices: Readings in Critical Discourse
Analysis
(pp. 3–14). London: Routledge.
Hadumod, B. (1996).
Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics.
London and New York: Routledge.

ٍجيت اىبحث اىعيَى فى الآداب اىعدد اىعشسوُ ىسْت 9102اىجزء الأوه
King, S. (2000). On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. NY: Scribner.
Martin, D. C. (1995). The Choices of Identity.
Social Identities,1(1), 516.
Partington, A. (2003). Corpora and Discourse Strategies in Action: From
Footing to Fooling. In Lewandowska-Tomaszczyk, B (ed.)
PALC
2001: Practical Applications in Language Corpora
. Frankfurt/M:
Peter Lang.
Tognini-Bonelli, E. (2001).
Corpus Linguistics at Work (Vol. 6). Amsterdam/
Philadelphia: John Benjamins B.V.
Van Dijk, T. A. (1988).
News as Discourse. Hillside, NJ: L. Erlbaum
Associates.
Van Dijk, T. A. (1991).
Racism and the Press. London: Routledge.
Van Dijk, T. (1992). Racism and Argumentation: “Race Riot” Rhetoric in
Tabloid Editorials. In F. H. vanEemeren (ed.),
Argumentation
Illuminated
(pp. 242-259). Dordrecht: Foris.
Van Dijk, T. A. (1995). Discourse Semantics and Ideology.
Discourse &
Society
, 6(2), 243-289.
Van Dijk, T. (1996). Discourse, Power and Access. In C.-R. Caldas-Coulthard
& M. Coulthard (Eds.),
Texts and Practices. Readings in Critical
Discourse Analysis
(pp. 84-104). London: Routledge.
Van Dijk, T. (1998a).
Ideology: A Multidisciplinary Approach. London: Sage.
Van Dijk, T. (1998b). Opinions and Ideologies in the Press. In A. Bell & P.
Garrett (eds.),
Approaches to Media Discourse. Massachusetts:
Blackwell Publishers Inc.
Van Dijk, T. A. (2000).
Ideology and Discourse: A Multidisciplinary
Introduction
[pdf document]. English version of an internet
ٍجيت اىبحث اىعيَى فى الآداب اىعدد اىعشسوُ ىسْت 9102اىجزء الأوه
course for the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Retrieved from
http://www.discourses.org/OldBooks/Teun%20A%20van%20Dij
k% 20%20Ideology%20and%20Discourse.pdf.
Van Dijk, T. A. (2006). Discourse and Manipulation.
Discourse and
Society
, 17 (2), 359-383.
Van Dijk, T. A. (2015a). Critical Discourse Analysis (new version). In D.
Tannen, H. Hamilton, & D. Schiffrin (eds.),
Handbook of
Discourse Analysis. Second Edition
. (vol. 1, pp. 466-485).
Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.
Van Dijk, T. A. (2015b).Critical Discourse Studies: A sociocognitive
Approach (new version). In Ruth Wodak & Michael Meyer (eds.),
Methods of critical discourse analysis. Third Edition. (pp. 63-
85). London: Sage.
Van Dijk, T. A. (2016). Sociocognitive Discourse Studies
In John Richardson & John Flowerdew (eds.).
Handbook of
Discourse Analysis
. London: Routledge. Retrieved from
http://www.discourses.org/OldBooks/Teun%20A%20van%20Dij
k% 20%20Ideology%20and%20Discourse.pdf.
Xie, N. (2013). Genre Analysis of Research Article Introductions of TESOL.
Unpublished Med Assignment. University of Exeter