Table 2 the use of discursive features
From: Traumatic journeys; understanding the rhetoric of patients’ complaints
Discursive Features | Example | ID |
|---|---|---|
Capitalisation/bold/Exclamation | BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION! | 3948 |
We as a family want EVERY avenue explored. | 3946 | |
There is much more | 3986 | |
Active Voicing/reported speech | ‘before you fall down drunk’ | 3965 |
Repetition | ‘my mum’ (39 times) | 4002 |
‘traumatic journey’ | 3932 | |
Extreme Case Formulations (ECF) | ‘utterly appalled’ extremely upsetting; great deal of stress; excruciating back pain; | 3986 |
Superiority Humour: sarcasm | “found two staff members at the X reception desk, were apparently, honours graduates of the Stalinist School of Human Relations.” | 3952 |
Idioms | ‘It frightens me to think what would happen if my mum weren’t “on the ball”! | 3928 |
Questioning | Why did X not phone from house At what time did X get back to X At what time did she speak to the Doctor At what time did Doctor phone for an ambulance [sic; no punctuation provided] | 3945 |