Persentences

Persentences is a term used in some discussions of linguistics and computational linguistics to refer to sentences that explicitly convey the speaker’s perspective, evaluation, or stance toward the proposition. It is not a standardized or universally accepted term, and its precise definition can vary by author or study. In general, persentences are described as utterances that carry subjective commitment, preference, or opinion, beyond simple factual content.

Typical features of persentences include the use of first-person pronouns (I, my), epistemic modality with evaluative meaning (seems, believe, must), and evaluative language such as adjectives or adverbs that express judgement (clearly, surprisingly, effective). They may also include discourse markers that situate the speaker’s stance (in my view, from this perspective). Examples include: “I think this method is robust.” “This approach seems promising to me.” “In my view, the data support the conclusion.” These sentences communicate more than the proposition itself by signaling the speaker’s attitude.

Applications and challenges: In discourse analysis, sentiment and stance-taking research, persentences can help identify how authors position themselves and influence readers. Automatic detection of persentences relies on annotation schemes and labeled data, and researchers must contend with subjectivity, cross-linguistic variation, and overlap with established concepts such as stance-taking and evaluative language. Because persentences are not universally defined, some scholars prefer traditional terms, while others use the label to emphasize the speaker’s subjective stance. See also: stance, evaluative language, subjectivity.