THE DISCOURSE STRUCTURE OF TEXT

THE DISCOURSE STRUCTURE OF TEXTS

Bibliography

Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, Cambridge, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, consulted February 10, 2016 at

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/projects/stylistics/topic12/14cp1.htm

Stubb, M. (1983). Discourse Analysis: The Sociolinguistic Analysis of Natural Language. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, consulted February 10, 2016 at http://www.english.ugent.be/da

Grice, H. (1975). Logic and Conversation. In P. Cole (ed.) Sintax and Semantics. Vol. 3. New York: Academic Press 41-58, consulted February 10, 2016 at http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/projects/stylistics/topic12/14cp1.htm

- TRP (Turn Relevance Place) How do you know when to take the turn?

1. The end of a:

Words like: "Yes", "there", etc.

Phrase: "In the basket", "out there"

Clause: "When I am free", "If I get the job"

Sentence: "I am working on my thesis", "He has got my car"

2. A falling in intonation

3.- A perceivale pause, usually two seconds.

Example:

Speaker A: Hello, how are you?

Speaker B: Very well, thanks. And you?

Speaker A: That's good. I'm doing great.

(pause) At this point speaker A may start a new topic or speaker B, may also, continue or end the previous conversation.

Conversational Interaction

-Overlaps and interruptions:

When speakers talk at the same time; both take the turn.

Example:

Speaker A: Did you know wh---

Speaker B: Oh, he must've there by two ---- overlap

Speaker A: Yes, but you knew where he was going?

Conversation is an activity where for the most part two or more people take turn at speaking, in these turns at speaking one has to pick up the completion point to take his turn to speak. This is conversational interaction.

CULTURAL WAYS OF

SPEAKING AND

WRITING

Conversation Analysis

Example:

If I then go into a market and someone asks what seems to me to be a very high price shirt, I know from my experience in this kind of interaction that the price they're telling me is just a starting point in the buying and selling exchange and that I can quite easily end up buying the shirt for at least half the original price.

The basic structure of a conversation: - Turn(s) - The speaker and the hearer take turns talking. One person speaks at one time, and the other listens, and then they switch places.

Example:

Speaker A: Hello

Speaker B: Hi

Speaker A: How are you?

Speaker B: Fine.

Carol: Are you coming to the party tonight?

Laura: I've got exam tomorrow.

1.Maxim of Quantity: information is that Laura has an exam.

2.-Maxim of Quality: she is describing a fact of her exam.

3.-Maxim of Relation: It is the reason why she could not come to the party.

4.-Maxim of Manner: A clear refusal.

Tomorrow: Exam

Tonight: Study, preparation

Tonight: No party

Intended meaning: Clear refusal

The co-operation principle

Grice (1975) set Four Maxims which say that in conversational exchanges the participants are in fact cooperating with each other.

1.- Maxim of Quantity

Make your contribution as informative as is required but no more or less that is required.

2.- Maxim of Quality

Don't say that which you believe to be false or for which you lack evidence.

3.-Maxim of Relation

Be relevant

4.- Maxim of Manner

Be clear, brief or orderly

Examples:

I am walking along the street in Shangai near a market and someone says to me "Hello Mister, DVD" I know from the situation I am in that they are wanting to sell me (most likely fake) DVDs.

Example:

Dear Dr. Paltridge:

• Greetings from a hot and sizzling Tokyo
• Grettings! It's such a beatiful day today here in Kyoto

Difference between Discourse and Text

Discourse and text can be used almost synonymously. But a distinction is always there and that in discourse has some social purpose, while text fulfills the function of communication of some meaning only. As suggested by Michael Stubbs (1983) who treats text and discourse as more or less synonymous.

The Discourse

Structure of Texts

Discourse analysis focuses on the structure of naturally spoken language as found in conversation interviews, commentaries and speeches.

Text analysis focuses on the structure of written language, as found in such text as essays, road signs and chapters.

(Crystal, 1987)

Ciria R. Amador L.

Discourse Analisis

February 19, 2016