Evidentials, Argumentation, and Epistemological Stance

ne of the textual dimensions of written language is the use of evidentials, which linguists define broadly as words and phrases that express attitudes toward knowledge (Chafe). In this discourse analysis, I argue that the use of evidentials illuminates differences between arguments written by experienced academic writers and those written by student writers and, in so doing, reveals underlying differences in the epistemological stance of each group.