Written Discourse ML Flashcards
Coherence + features of coherence
1) accessibility and understandability
1) Makes sense and is logical
2) Ideas presented in the text are related into each other
3) statements lead to examples, questions lead to answers, greetings follow greetings and problems have solutions
4) Features of coherence include:
-Logical ordering
-layout and formatting - paragraphing, bolded titles
-Consistency and conventions: typically in register, tense or conventions of text type
-inference
Inference
1) Avoids repetition of ideas that would otherwise distract the audience
2 )By relying on readers knowledge, they would be more engaged with the text to infer to the texts actual meaning
3) Allows for the construction of logically connected texts, where utterances make sense to the participants involved in the conversational exchange
4) Reduce social distance and may elevate informality
5) Aids coherence if assumed information enables text to make sense
6) Aids cohesion if assumed info link to other words in the text
7) find features where the writer mentions something but doesn’t go on to explain or clarify
8) proper nouns, jargon
9) inference is required form fellow blog reader to infer that Soverign Hills is just as fun and enjoyable as Disneyland for children. By resorting to readers past experience or knowledge of Disneyland, readers are able to appreciate the inference and enhance their understandability of the text.
logical ordering
1) Chronology assumes events order in which they are been presented.
2) With general information and contact details first, the text then describes more in-depth topics such as…
3) More important information is revealed first, with the more specialised information later for those who choose to continue reading
4) Prepares the readers to anticipate a certain way that the content will be organised in the text
5) (Given information before new information) Chaining effect aids logical development of ideas through logical ordering, thus aiding coherence
layout and formatting - headings and sub headings
indicates/signposts the topic following; makes it easier for readers to quickly find the information they need; guides the reader through the information
layout and formatting - paragraphing
deals with each topic separately, portions idea into associated sections that are readable and manageable.
layout and formatting - brackets and asterisks
Provide extra information to explain or clarify jargon; to provide an optional element, an anecdote or additional information; provide a justification, to add humour or to explain an idea
layout and formatting - typography
Typefaces, colours and sizes draw attention to particular components and reduce time to find important information; Italics and Bold indicates emphasis; Capitalisation may mimic shouting and prosodics.
layout and formatting - bullet points
allow information to be condensed into its core components so that only absolutely necessary information is presented to the reader
layout and formatting - borders
signposting upcoming information and give prominence to important information
layout and formatting - tables
separate information to readable portions
consistency and conventions
1) Consistency: Aspects of discourses are the same throughout, like tenses, register, jargon etc (similar enumeration, semantic field, using dominant sentence types)
2) Conventions: Complying to the expected conventions of a discourse type
3) Eg- Standard spelling reduces possible confusion and misunderstanding
4) Eg- Emoticons may indicate mood and tone so as to compensate for the absence of paralinguistic cues in the written medium
conjunctions and adverbials
1) Create sentence structures that link relevant information together by coordination and subordination
2) Adverbials in particular are used to tie ideas together in structured and meaningful ways.
3) Provide additional information, to contrast ideas or statements
4) to provide a link between causes and effects (causality)
5) to place information in appropriate sequences, typically in relation to time
6) Contrastives provide a means to demonstrate opposition, alternatives, exclusions, contrasts and comparisons.
7) Supports coherence as it helps contribute to the logical ordering of the elements of a text
Cohesion
Means of establishing connections within a text at different structural levels/mechanical construction of the text to aid understanding.
best features:
1) lexical cohesion - lexical repetition - create lexical chain /chaining effect
2) semantic cohesion - semantic field and hyponomy - thematic connectedness
3) referential cohesion - anaphoric referencing
4) linking adverbials and conjunction
features of cohesion - lexical cohesion
1) repetition
2) repetition of collocation
3) lexical patterning through affixation.
Involves different ways of forming lexical links by reinforcing or maintain topic between content words within a text. This type of cohesion generally occurs in any situation in which a word in one part of a text is associated with a word or words in other parts of the text.
features of cohesion - semantic cohesion
1) Connotations: positive and negative
2) Literary devices: animation, hyperbole, metaphor, personification, imagery, simile, idiom, oxymoron
3) Semantic relationships: antonymy, synonymy, hyponymy
semantic coheison - synonymy
definition:
1) The process whereby lexemes with very similar meanings are used to vary the language included in a text or utterance.
purposes:
1) In terms of cohesion, synonymy avoids the unnecessary repetition of ideas and keeps a text interesting
2) Synonyms or near-synonyms are a typical feature of legalese, and often reflect the influence of both French and Latin.
3) Emphasise a particular idea or concept
4) The use of synonyms and near-synonyms enables consistency of topic without monotonous repetition
semantic coheison - antonymy
definition:
1) sense relationship between lexemes that have contrasting or opposite meanings
function:
1) To contrast, juxtapose
2) Allows efficiency of a text in delivering its message, thereby supporting the function/social purpose
semantic coheison - hyponymy
1) words which fall under same semantic field
2) Aids the semantic cohesion of the text
3) Maintains fluidity on the primary subject matter discussed
4) hyponymy is affected through co-hyponyms ‘linear motion’ and ‘circular motion’ which belong to the semantic field of ‘motion’. this highlights the thematic connectedness thus achieving cohesion
features of cohesion - anaphoric referencing
1) Referring to something that has been mentioned previously in a speech/text
2) Reduces unnecessary repetition, therefore enhances cohesion and thus coherence
3) Provides a cohesive tie and reduces lexical density by not having to state the previous statement again
4) Charbel really enjoyed the slice of cake (he) was given
features of cohesion - cataphoric referencing
1) Using substitution before the referent has been mentioned
2) Reduces unnecessary repetition…
3) Delaying of the referent creates suspense and interest
4) Introduces an element of mystery and the reader’s curiosity allows them to seek to find the referent further along in the text
5) Guides the audience forward in speech/texts
6) Provoke readers questioning themselves, immersing them in the storyline more effectively
7) ‘(This) is disgusting, look at all the mess!’
Deixis
1) Substitution that relies on contextual information to determine the referent of the substitution (referent is not explicit in the text — people, place, time)
2) Supports efficient and concise communication
3) Reduces unnecessary repetition (lexical density)
4) Creates a unifying effect
5) High levels of deixis in relation to past events and shared experiences can be strong indicators of prior relationship and the social affinity of the interlocuters, contributing to the informal register.
6) Spatial Deixis comprises both proximal (here) and distal (there) using locative adverbs and prepositions such as above and below.
7) ‘Now’, ‘here’ and ‘I’ can be used to confirm the congruity of the speaker or writer at the time and place of utterance or writing.
8) contextual and situational
information flow
principals - support cohesion and coherence
strategies - support cohesion and coherence but more useful for purposes because of their stylistic effect
principals of information flow - given new
1) given information precedes new information
2) Given information is already known to the reader, or that may have been introduced earlier in the text or may be extrapolated from inferential knowledge.
3) New information pushes the discourse forward. It’s where we expect our audience to pay attention.
4) creates a chaining effect this enhancing cohesion
5) What is introduced as new information then becomes old and is then placed at the beginning of the following new sentence. This results in a chaining effect of old and new information, which
1. Aids coherence
2. Enhances cohesion
principals of information flow - end weight
1) Long grammatically complicated or heavy structures (those with many modifiers) typically appear late in a sentence.
2) If not, this will lead to a clumsy and difficult-to-understand sentence.
3) Heavy constituents usually contain new information.
4) enhances Coherence —> heavy stuff is at the end thus becomes more accessible. Delaying dense structures renders the text more accessible.
5) using subordinate clauses
6) Despite my greatest fondness for fish and chips, I love a great variety of foods such as steak; pork chops, grilled with fennel seeds; deep-fried squid; and anything at all to do with fruit.
