pragma-syntactic manipulative devices in the 2016 U.S. presidential debates

This study examines some of the pragma-syntactic manipulative devices in the 2016 U.S. presidential debates between the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and the Republican candidate Donald Trump. The pragma-syntactic manipulative devices included in this study are person deixis, modality, and passive constructions. The study aims at answering the following questions: "what are the different pragma-syntactic manipulative devices used in the debates under analysis?" and "what are the most frequently used pragma-syntactic manipulative devices and what are the least used ones?" The two candidates' aim behind using these different manipulative devices is to shape their audiences' minds and gain a huge public following. The study shows how the use of the different pragma-syntactic manipulative devices helps in creating the image of the two candidates’ political persona. It sees that spoken English differs from written English in terms of applying the conventions of grammar. The study concluded that Donald Trump used the three pragma-syntactic manipulative devices more than his opponent. The study indicated that while the different forms of person deixis are the most dominant pragma-syntactic manipulative device employed by the two candidates in the three debates under analysis, passive forms are the least commonly used device. It also showed that of the three purposes of modality, modal verbs of predictability are the most heavily used. The study also indicated that the two candidates resorted to using the passive constructions to avoid assuming responsibility. The study clarified the important role played by the inclusive pronouns in evoking the audiences’ emotions and feelings.