Abstract:
The increasing use of the internet has also increased the chances of receiving scam
emails. Several linguistics approaches have been used by researchers to conduct
several studies on deception. Even though these approaches have helped to detect
deception, they focus on aspects of the texts as opposed to a holistic analysis of the
functional orientation of the texts. This study examines how deception is construed
through linguistic choices, by first breaking up email texts into clauses, and then
following up with a detailed clause-by-clause analysis. The focus of the study is on
the transitivity choices used by email scammers to construe fraud in an attempt to
manage information in order to manipulate email recipients. The data consist of forty
scam email messages solicited from various recipients and also downloaded from a
website. The study made several findings: first, transitivity patterns of the material
processes in scam email messages show that the scammers variously position
themselves as negotiable, vulnerable and generous; second, transitivity patterns
associated with the relational processes reveal the identity of the scammers as credible
and respectable persons in society; third, the identified mental clauses demonstrate
that scammers feign commitment and dedication in the scam email messages; fourth,
the patterns show that the Sayers in verbal processes are usually thanking the
recipients, blessing the recipients, and seeking for assistance from the recipients. The
behavioural process was used to urge recipients to respond to the scam emails while
the existential process was used to motivate the recipients to reply to the emails. The
study finally concludes that various linguistic strategies were deployed by the
scammers to manipulate target recipients.
Description:
THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION
OF THE FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES EDUCATION AND
COMMUNICATION, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA IN
PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR AWARD OF
MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY IN ENGLISH DEGREE.
SEPTEMBER, 2017