THE RHETORICAL EFFECT OF LOCATIVE INVERSION CONSTRUCTIONS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE THREE-TIER MODEL OF LANGUAGE USE

Abstract

This article aims to explain how the Locative Inversion Construction (LIC) produces a certain rhetorical effect in terms of the three-tier model of language use. The article argues that the LIC functions as an evidential expression indicating that the information conveyed is gained through the speaker’s direct perception, which leads to the speaker’s informational superiority over the addressee. The use of the LIC allows the speaker to impose his perspective of direct perception on the addressee, which in turn results in making the addressee feel as if he were sharing the perceptual experience with the speaker.