An Interpersonal Meaning Study Based On Appraisal Theory-Discourse Analysis Of Patent Specification

Patent specification, a type of scientific English, has been brought to public attention for its vital role of scientific research, development and technology exchange. interpersonal meaning is indispensable for applicants to introduce the invention and make the alignment and solidarity with the reader. And research for exploring interpersonal meaning in patent specification writing is far from reaching.The present dissertation intends to apply Appraisal theory, recommended as the development of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) directed to interpersonal meaning at the level of discourse semantics, to dig out the interpersonal meaning in patent specification and exhibits the ways applicants used to express attitude and negotiation between him and putative readers. The research analysis is based on the typical appraisal theory from Martin and White and the judgement concept extension from Xu Yuchen, Yanxuan, Surui (2011). UAM CorpusTool software is employed to quantitatively display the general frequency and specific feature of Appraisal resources in thirty-two pieces of patent specifications and qualitative analysis is examined at the same time.The statistics suggest that relatively every Appraisal variable can be found in the discourse, which serves as a tentative proof that Appraisal theory is applicable to patent specification. In that, Attitude values are of the most favor of the patentees or applicants, followed by Graduation and Engagement. Applicants prefer judgement recourses, especially Propriety variables, to ensure the carrying-out of the invention, get its intellectual property well protected and keep its protected scope as large as possible. Appreciation is also prevalently used to achieve manipulation function, but there are very few Affect recourses. Dialogic-expansion and Dialogic-contraction variables are more or less equally used, one for avoiding the overdue absolutization and the other for achieving solidarity with the help of convincing declarations. Entertain and Disclaim variables exhibit strong performances. In Graduation system, applicants favors Force recourses to intensify the quality, strengthen the process and enlarge the quantity so as readers would get a deep impression on the invention.The present study not only enlarges the application scope of appraisal theory, but also offers insights to the better understanding of patent specification discourse and provides implication for applicant writing.