Nominalizations in guides produced by state regulatory agencies: on how grammar produces effects of authority and non-negotiation

Abstract

The central aim of this study is to analyze the use of nominalizations in official guides produced by state regulatory agencies. The study is grounded on the assumption that, in written discourse, especially in the official realm, the use of nominalizations is conditioned by the discursive domain, which, in turn, frames the need for more specific investigation. We analyzed 10 guides produced by Brazilian regulatory agencies, and a significant number of nominalized instances was identified in them. From the point of view of the nominal argument structure, the study identified the occurrences of non-overt arguments. We also analyzed how these arguments were recovered, which, in general, was done via textual flow. With regard to the analysis of nominalizations as instances of grammatical metaphors, this use allowed for a greater lexical density of the texts analyzed. It also contributed to guarantee the alleged neutrality and objectiveness of the events, or facts, to which the guides refer. The results also indicated nominalizations as important resources for the official guides to fulfill the purpose of imposing on the reader the acceptance of non-negotiable assumptions, following their official role.