LessonsThe Subject of Predication: Pronouns of Affair, Iltifāt and Departure from Expected ExpressionQuiz

Iltifāt is commonly the rhetorical shift, within connected discourse, between the perspectives of first person, second person, and third person, while the underlying referent or topic remains related.

First person: speech from “I” or “we.”
Second person: direct address using “you.”
Third person: reference to “he,” “she,” or “they.”

A change after a sustained pattern can renew attention. Depending on the setting, it may signal immediacy, honor, admonition, or heightened engagement.

Not every grammatical change of person is iltifāt. The relevant discourse relation must remain sufficiently continuous and the shift must carry a rhetorical function.

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Defining iltifāt as a change of perspective

The Subject of Predication: Pronouns of Affair, Iltifāt and Departure from Expected Expression

Iltifāt is commonly the rhetorical shift, within connected discourse, between the perspectives of first person, second person, and third person, while the underlying referent or topic remains related.

First person: speech from “I” or “we.”
Second person: direct address using “you.”
Third person: reference to “he,” “she,” or “they.”

A change after a sustained pattern can renew attention. Depending on the setting, it may signal immediacy, honor, admonition, or heightened engagement.

Not every grammatical change of person is iltifāt. The relevant discourse relation must remain sufficiently continuous and the shift must carry a rhetorical function.