Section A: Individual Variation

Question 1

What are the 4 aspects of context? With meanings.

Answer 1

1. Mode - the type of text it is
2. Field - what the text is about
3. Audience - who the text is for
4. Function - why it exists

Question 2

Pragmatics

Answer 2

The way meanings are implied in the context of a text

Question 3

Semantics

Answer 3

Relationships between words and what they signify

Question 4

What are 3 types of mode that texts belong to? With example.

Answer 4

1. Spoken - e.g. conversation with friend
2. Written - e.g. a letter
3. Electronic - e.g. audiobook

Question 5

What is meant by electronic mode?

Answer 5

A hybrid of speech and writing created due to developments in technology

Question 6

What are the attributes of spoken English?

Answer 6

Low formality
Spontaneous
Interactive
No record
Private
Socially oriented
Context-dependent

Question 7

What are the attributes of written language?

Answer 7

High formality
Planned
Solitary
Permanent record
Public
Message oriented
Context independent

Question 8

What are electron communication types of texts?

Answer 8

Emails
Text messages
Social media pages
Blog

Question 9

What are ways that mode can impact lexis?

Answer 9

Slang more common in speech
Polysyllabic lexis more common is written
Monosyllabic lexis common in both speech and writing
Lexical words common in both speech and writing
Functions words common in both speech and writing
Complex noun phrases are more common in written

Question 10

What can slang be also referred to as?

Answer 10

Colloquial lexis

Question 11

What are ways that mode impacts grammar?

Answer 11

Written - will be more accurate with grammar, more formal so more grammatically accurate
Spoken - words can be dropped, discourse markers are more common as they mark boundaries between topics, interrogatives and imperative are more common in speech as they are typically interactive, mitigated imperatives are where function is to command but grammatical structure might be interrogative, ellipses where parts of a sentence are missing are more common, modals are more common to express attitudes and finally hedging is common too

Question 12

What are the 3 ways of analysing the lexis of mode? With definitions

Answer 12

1. Finding subject specific lexis - lexical choices that belong to the field of the text
2. Finding Iexical fields - the groups of linked words that aren’t directly linked to the main topic
3. Specialist lexis - words that are about the specific topic

Question 13

Jargon

Answer 13

Words that have a technical meaning within a specific field

Question 14

Field related jargon

Answer 14

Jargon that isn’t unnecessarily complicated (jargon usually is too complicated) but is specialised technical jargon that is needed for precise communication such as in surgery