Authors

• azam staji ¹
• zahra hamedi shiravan ²

¹ Faculty Member, Linguistics Dept., Mashhad Ferdowsi University, Iran

² M.A., Linguistics, Mashhad Ferdowsi University, Iran

Abstract

In this research we are going to show the difference between self representation and others representation in some of the contemporary newspaper texts. We show this difference by analyzing two syntactic structures namely modality and transitivity. Teun van Dijk believes that in texts (and especially in political texts) there is always a tendency to represent ourselves and our own group positively and the others and their group negatively; and this is done by highlighting and emphasizing our positive characteristics and activities and their negative characteristics and activities. In data analysis we found that in newspaper texts selection of the modality and transitivity is in line with this strategy; that is the negative representation of the others and positive representation of the self.  

Keywords

• Critical Discourse Analysis
• Transitivity
• Modality
• the Press
• the Others and Self