Indicating obligation and willingness
|
Using nouns to indicate obligation | page 1 of 5 |
Introduction
Obligation typically involves functions such as
giving commands, making requests, offering advice, and granting permission 
. Speakers
are able to indicate obligation in a number of ways 
.
Note that the structure chosen to express obligation will be motivated by such things
as register 
and the degree of closeness a speaker wishes to establish with the
hearer.
A speaker is more likely to use a noun to create an impersonal, even formal effect and to increase the social distance between speaker and hearer. By using a noun, the speaker is able not only to conceal the source of the obligation, but to present the obligation as an established fact, for example compare the explicitly personal: I order you to stay here with Your instructions are to stay here.
For further information about the reasons why a writer might want to use a noun instead
of another form, see 
Representing actions with nouns: Reasons for representing actions with
nouns.
Nouns can be used to express obligation in both face-to-face speech and in writing.
This file gives details of the ways that nouns and noun
groups can be used to
issue commands, make requests, offer advice and grant permission.
You may either read through the file page by page or jump to a specific page by clicking on one of the choices below.
Introduction
