Berezenko V. Credibility as a Parameter of the Constative Utterance and Means of Its Expression in Modern English

The dissertation focuses on pragmasemantic and structural peculiarities of credibility markers in Modern English constative utterances. On the basis of the data obtained, the paper defines the main types of language units used to denote credibility, reveals the specificity of their functioning as credibility markers, suggests the way the credibility markers correlate with each other in communication, proves their metacommunicative nature. In the thesis, verbal and nonverbal units which determine the credibility degree of Modern English constative utterances are systematized. It has been established that alongside with the semantics of the markers the hearer takes into account their pragmatic features and physical, social, individual parameters of the speaker, his nonverbal behaviour, the context of communication.