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In:Applications of Pattern-driven Methods in Corpus Linguistics:
Edited by Joanna Kopaczyk and Jukka Tyrkkö
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics 82] 2018
► pp. 251–276

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Chapter 10
I don’t want to and don’t get me wrong

Lexical bundles as a window to subjectivity and intersubjectivity in American blogs

 | Swansea University
Published online: 13 March 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.82.10bar
Abstract
Blogs are one of the most prominent genres of Web 2.0; yet, research on their linguistic characteristics is limited. This study contributes to addressing this research gap by investigating lexical bundles in American blogs. Lexical bundles are units of discourse structure which can reveal a great deal about the unique linguistic characteristics and communicative functions shaping registers. Extraction of four-word bundles in a corpus of American blogs reveals, firstly, that lexical bundles are relatively uncommon in blog writing. Analyses of discourse function and grammatical patterns show that blogs rely mainly on stance expressions, which often encapsulate first person reference (e.g., I don’t want to), thus reflecting the focus on self-expression and subjectivity which characterizes this register. Like in conversation, bundles in blogs tend to be verb-phrase based. But blogs also rely substantially on referential (e.g., a lot of people) and narrative expressions (e.g., I got to see), and thus share characteristics of literate registers and fiction writing. In sum, lexical bundles in blog writing are characterized by a unique combination of features which reflect two underlying forces: mode and communicative purpose.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background: The language and discourse of blogs
  • 3.Methods
    • 3.1Corpus for analysis
    • 3.2Identification of lexical bundles
    • 3.3Functional classification of lexical bundles
  • 4.Lexical bundles in American blogs
    • 4.1Functional characteristics of lexical bundles
    • 4.2Person reference in lexical bundles
    • 4.3Structural characteristics of lexical bundles
  • 5.Discussion and conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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