PASSIVE VOICE CONSTRUCTIONS IN SPOKEN VS. WRITTEN DISCOURSE
Keywords:
Passive voice, spoken discourse, written discourse, corpus linguistics, syntactic analysis, communicative function, English grammar, stylisticsAbstract
This article investigates the use of passive voice constructions in spoken and written English discourse, focusing on their frequency, functional roles, and stylistic implications. While passive voice is often associated with formal, written contexts, its presence in spoken discourse remains underexplored. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study analyzes corpora of spoken (e.g., conversational transcripts) and written (e.g., academic articles, news reports) English to compare passive voice usage. Findings reveal that passive constructions are more frequent in written discourse, serving to enhance formality and objectivity, while in spoken discourse, they are less common but used strategically for emphasis or politeness. The study highlights the influence of context, audience, and communicative purpose on passive voice deployment, offering insights for linguistic analysis and language teaching.
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