The article analyzes the correlation between the cognitive semantics of the words казаться, показаться and the ordinary/fictional narrative strategy, embodied in a context of a particular type. The cognitive semantics of the words is identified within such parameters as a 'discourse context type', 'narrative strategy', as well as the 'communicative register' -either 'reproductive' or 'informative'. The paper considers a gestalt scenario, according to which different contexts with the words

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... ься, показаться are built up. The author demonstrates the integrity of the gestalt and also describes focus shifts which underlie the construction of different contexts -'background' and 'figure'. Keywords: cognitive semantics, gestalt, background, figure, the communicative register, the ordinary narrative strategy, the fictional narrative strategy Елена Чернцова, Харьковский национальный университет имени В. Н. Каразина,