ScholarWorks@성균관대학교

초록

This article examines the pragmatic potential of past-tense forms in directive speech acts in contemporary Russian. Examples from media discourse (cinema and television series) show how past-tense verbs serve as equivalents of the imperative in expressing orders, instructions, suggestions, and permissions. The analysis identifies key extralinguistic factors shaping directive force, including interlocutors' social status, situational power distribution, intimacy, and the balance of benefits and costs in interaction. The study demonstrates that past-tense forms express the imperative when speakers hold institutional or situational authority and in contexts of collective action within close relationships, while they are rarely used in requests or advice. A cognitive-pragmatic interpretation, by the Frame theory and the concept of Relational work, views these forms as versatile resources for modulating directiveness according to the context and the interpersonal expectations. The findings broaden current understanding of the functional range of the verbal tense in Russian and highlight the need for an integrated approach combining grammatical, pragmatic, and sociocultural perspectives in the study of directive speech act strategies.