A schema - prototype based approach to Let -imperatives in English-American literary works

Abstract

The research includes statistical data, in-depth analyses, and descriptions of the imperative mood in English communication, with an emphasis on the structure of imperatives with “Let”, using 939 instances extracted  from 5 representative works of English and American popular literature. The primary goal is   to clarify the linguistic and pragmatic characteristics of imperatives containing "Let" in typical communicative circumstances. Our research findings demonstrate that three fundamental cognitive factors, namely power, benefit, and obligation, are prominent cognitive features of imperatives with "Let" in the context of cognitive linguistics. These findings are supported by the theoretical framework of the schema-theoretic perspective and quantitatively analyze expressive criteria of imperatives.