Name: Wendy V.

Palero Yr/Course/Sec: 3 AB English - A

Subject: EL 311: English Discourse

CHAPTER 2 Discourse Grammar

Lesson 1. Discourse grammar define

Task 1. Look for a sample essay. How does it achieve unity of structure

and unity of texture?

An essay entitled ‘Travel and Language’ by: College Essay Guy.

Its unity of structure focused on one topic, having a clear topic sentence and
strong supporting details. However, its unity of texture has cohesive relation
which provides the text with unity and distinguishes it from a non-text.

Task 2. Give differences for the grammatical features that people use

differently in conversation from the way grammar books suggest

people use it.

The grammatical features are functional grammar and traditional grammar.

Traditional grammar is concerned with the ways words are ordered inside
sentences and views a language as a set of rules, whereas functional grammar
focuses on the way language is put together such that meaning is communicated
for certain purposes and views a language as a system of meaning.

Task 3. Dwell on cohesion and coherence. How do translators tend to

deal with literary and other texts that are deliberately lacking in

conventional cohesion or coherence?

The translators tend to deal with literary and other texts deliberately lacking in
conventional cohesion or coherence by considering a specific strategy for
developing the text, sentence or paragraph. Typically, a well written text,
sentence or paragraph will move from general to increasingly more specific
claims or vice versa. Regardless of whether you move from general to specific or
specific to general, be consistent with your pattern. If you do use a general-to-
specific pattern in your text, sentence or paragraph , avoid beginning with an
overly broad claim.

Task 4. The categories of cohesion and coherence, theme and rheme

and presuppositions are interrelated. Comment on this

interrelationship.

The interrelation of cohesion and coherence, theme and rheme and presuppositions will
influence a reader’s interpretation of everything that comes next. Accordingly, in
cohesive writing, ‘given’ information in a clause need be presented in Theme position,
which acts like a signpost signalling a reader where the meanings have come from and
where they are going to. The new information needs to be in Rheme position. The
balance and movement of a clause between Theme and Rheme is an essential
component in composing a cohesive text. If a writer fails to control the flow of
information from Theme to Rheme, his or her text is difficult for a reader to follow,
because there is no clear signpost directing the reader, who therefore cannot easily
follow the progression of an idea or argument.
Lesson 2. Grammatical Cohesion

Task 1.

1. The book was there on the table. I’d never read Moby Dick and I

didn’t intend to do so now. Cataphoric reference

2. He sat down at the table and took a small box from his pocket. The

object felt heavy in his hands. Inside it was the key to his future. Anaphoric reference

Task 1. Identify the type of conjunction. Additive Adversative Causal or

Temporal

Additive 1. And in all this time he met no one.

Adversative 2. Yet he was hardly aware of being tired.

Causal 3. So by the night time the valley was far below him.

Causal 4. Then, as dusk fell, he sat down to rest.

Additive 5. My client says he does not know his witness. Further, he denies

ever having seen her.

Additive 6. Perhaps, she missed her train. Or else she’s changed her mind

and isn’t coming.

Adversative 7. All the figures were correct; they’d been checked. Yet the total

came out wrong.

Causal 8. You are not leaving, are you? Because I’ve got something to say

to you.

Causal 9. I was not informed. Otherwise, I should have taken some action.

Temporal 10.At last, he finished the rehearsal for his role.

Lesson 3

Task 1. Substitution. Nominal, Verbal or Clausal

Clausal 1. John seems to be intelligent. Is he really so?

Nominal 1. Let’s go and see the bears. The polar ones are on that rock.

Nominal 2. Winter is often so damp. The same is true for the summer.

Verbal 3. The words did not come to the same as they used to do.

Clausal 4. I finally called on him. I have wanted to do (so) for a long time. Is there going

to be an earthquake? It says so.

Clausal 5. Has everyone gone home? I hope not.

Task 1. Underline and identify the type of conjunctions found in the

following statements as additive, adversative, causal or temporal.

Additive 1. And in all this time he met no one.

Adversative 2. Yet he was hardly aware of being tired.

Causal 3. So by the night time the valley was far below him.

Causal 4. Then, as dusk fell, he sat down to rest.

Additive 5. My client says he does not know his witness. Further, he denies

ever having seen her.

Additive 6. Perhaps, she missed her train. Or else she’s changed her mind

and isn’t coming.

Adversative 7. All the figures were correct; they’d been checked. Yet the total

came out wrong.

Causal8. You are not leaving are you? Because I’ve got something to
say to you.

Causal 9. I was not informed. Otherwise, I should have taken some action.

Temporal 10. At last, he finished the rehearsal for his role.

Task 2.

a 1. .....................… nurses are overworked and underpaid.

a. In particular b. Especially

c. Except for

c 2. I don’t believe in ghosts. ....................... I haven’t seen one yet.

a. At least b. In particular

c. In other words

a 3. I think he should be acquitted. ..................... he is too young to know the difference

between right and wrong.

a. After all b. At least

c. Well d. Honestly

b 4. The man was sleeping soundly on the riverbank ..................... a crocodile was
creeping closer.

a. Despite this b. Meanwhile

c. As a result d. By contrast

b 5. The child didn’t get any medical attention. —————-, she died soon after.

a. Despite this b. As a result

c. In this case d. In spite of that

b 6. He has been warned before. …………………., he shouldn’t have repeated this.

a. In this case b. In spite of this

c. Instead

Task 3. Fill in all the gaps with the reference words and those used for substitution in
the sentences.

ones such that the same these This those to do so

1.) According to Roman law, no one could bear arms except those entitled to do so ,the
only exception being hunting weapons.

2.) The appearance of later stages is usually a development from earlier ones using the
same components, and not a radical replacement.

3.) It must be borne in mind that the majority of this data have been derived from
subjects younger than 65 years (Koch-Weser, 1978).

4.) Simple matrices similar to those employed to good effect in many of the studies
described in this book can also be of benefit.

5.) Harris and South Uist are so moist that even in summer (April-September) there is a
PWS of over 500 mm. This is related to the fact that rainfall increases with altitude.

6.) Animals that look similar are classified together, and not only that , they are also
closely related in an evolutionary sense (or put another way, they share a common
ancestor).

7.) The results of the tests show that there are still substantial levels of discrimination
and that levels of discrimination against Indians, Pakistanis and West Indians are much
the same.

8.) 17th century male dancers were trained to dance female roles and were often called
upon to do so in serious works, costumed in such a way as to disguise their gender.

9.) Perhaps, then, men find women's conversation difficult to follow, and since they are
the powerful group, they can deal with their incomprehension by defining women's
behaviour as deviant and wrong - "illogical" is just their word for those.

10.) This, however, seems to him the condemnation of such uses of the words and the
same forms of moral judgement.
Task 4. Identify the ellipsis and substitution used in the following

sentences.

1. Which hat will you wear? This is the best (-). -Nominal ellipsis

2. Have another chocolate. No thanks; that was my third {-}. -Nominal ellipsis

3. Smith was the first person to leave. I was the second (-). Nominal ellipsis

4. Have you been swimming? Yes, I have. -Verbal ellipsis

5. What have you been doing? Swimming. -Clausal ellipsis

6. Is he complaining? He may be; I don’t care. -Verbal ellipsis

7. Who could have broken those tiles? I can’t think who. -Nominal ellipsis

8. I kept quite because Mary gets embarrassed if anyone mentions about John’s name. I
don’t know why. -Causal ellipsis

9. Were you laughing? No, I wasn’t. -Verbal ellipsis

10.Mary came, did not she? No, but she will. -Causal ellipsis

Task 5. Identify the type of substitution used for the underline word/s as nominal,
verbal or clausal.

1. John seems to be intelligent. Is he really so? -Clausal

2. Let’s go and see the bears. The polar ones are on that rock. -Nominal

3. The words did not come to the same as they used to do. -Verbal

4. I finally called on him. I have wanted to do (so) for a long time. Is there going to be an
earthquake? It says so. -Clausal

5. Has everyone gone home? I hope not. -Clausal

Task 6. Identify examples of substitution and ellipsis in this text:

The human memory system is remarkably efficient, but it is of course extremely fallible.
That being so, it makes sense to take full advantage of memory aids to minimize the
disruption caused by such lapses. If external aids are used, it is sensible to use them
consistently and systematically - always put appointments in your diary, always add
wanted items to a shopping list, and so on. If you use internal aids such as mnemonics,
you must be prepared to invest a reasonable amount of time in mastering them and
practising them. Mnemonics are like tools and cannot be used until forged. Overall,
however, as William James pointed out (the italics are mine): 'Of two men with the same
outward experiences and the same amount of mere native tenacity, the one who thinks
over his experiences most and weaves them into systematic relations with each other
will be the one with the best memory.

Task 7. Here is a sample of persuasive essay. Find out the cohesive devices used in this
essay such as repetition, reference, conjunction, substitution and ellipses.

Title: Consider whether human activity has made the world a better place.

History shows that human beings have come a long way from where they started. They
have developed new technologies which means that everybody can enjoy luxuries they
never previously imagined. However, the technologies that are temporarily making this
world a better place to live could well prove to be an ultimate disaster due to, among
other things, the creation of nuclear weapons, increasing pollution, and loss of animal
species.

The biggest threat to the earth caused by modern human activity comes
from the creation of nuclear weapons. Although it cannot be denied that countries have
to defend themselves, the kind of weapons that some of them currently possess are far
in excess of what is needed for defence. If these weapons were used, they could lead to
the destruction of the entire planet. Another harm caused by human activity to this
earth is pollution. People have become reliant on modern technology, which can have
adverse effects on the environment. For example, reliance on cars causes air and noise
pollution. Even seemingly innocent devices, such as computers and mobile phones, use
electricity, most of which is produced from coal-burning power stations, which further
adds to environmental pollution. If we do not curb our direct and indirect use of fossil
fuels, the harm to the environment may be catastrophic. Animals are an important
feature of this earth and the past decades have witnessed the extinction of a
considerable number of

animal species. This is the consequence of human encroachment on wildlife habitats, for
example deforestation to expand cities. Some may argue that such loss of species is
natural and has occurred throughout earth's history. However, the current rate of
species loss far exceeds normal levels, and is threatening to become a mass extinction
event.

In summary, there is no doubt that current human activities such as the creation of
nuclear weapons, pollution, and destruction of wildlife, are harmful to the earth. It is
important for us to see not only the short-term effects of our actions, but their long-
term ones as well. Otherwise, human activities will be just another step towards
destruction.

Task 8. Use a paragraph from one of your essays or write one now, then colour code it.
Which forms of creating cohesion do you currently use? Reference? Substitution?
Conjunction? Lexical chains? Synonyms? Cohesive nouns? Are you going to try to use
any one of these techniques more in future? If so? Which ones?

Her achievement made her elated, but left had left her exhausted. When she had
read the title of the task, she knew it was not going to be just another essay, not an
easy one at all. Finally, the completed work lay on the counter of the reception
and was beautifully bound. She would sleep easy at night, no longer troubled by
thoughts of its accusing blank pages – the nightmare was over!

Yes, Cohesive nouns or should I say all of them so that I can create a meaningful
and thoughtful essay.
Lesson 5. Theme and Rheme

Task 1. Answer the following questions. Pick the letter of your choice.

a. 1. The theme of The old woman who wanted the stamps is still waiting. is:

a, The old woman

b. The old woman who wanted the stamps

c. the stamps

b. 2. The theme of Waiting for the bus in winter, is not much fun. Is

a. Waiting for the bus in winter

b. Waiting for the bus

c. Waiting for the bus in winter is

c. 3. The topical theme of While I was waiting for the bus, it started to rain. is:

a. While I I was waiting for the bus

b. While I was waiting

C. While

c. 7. In That was the moment when I realised the problem. the theme of the second
clause is linked to the rheme of the first by:

a. Relative adverb

b. A conjunction

c. The verb realize

b. 8. In She married him, and it astonished everyone. the pronoun it:

a. refers to the rheme of the first clause

b. refers to the theme of the first clause

c. refers to the verb in the first clause

c. 9. In I threw my computer out of the third-floor window. An action which I later

regretted. The theme of the second sentence is:

a. Later

b. I

c. An action

c. 10. In I called by but you were out. The rheme in the first clause is:

A. linked by a coordinating conjunction

B. linked by a subordinating conjunction

C. introduced by the word by

Task 1. Essay Questions

● Dwell on cohesion and coherence. How do translators tend to deal with literary and
other texts that are deliberately lacking in conventional cohesion or coherence?

The translators tend to deal with literary and other texts deliberately lacking in
conventional cohesion or coherence by considering a specific strategy for
developing the text, sentence or paragraph. Typically, a well written text,
sentence or paragraph will move from general to increasingly more specific
claims or vice versa. Regardless of whether you move from general to specific or
specific to general, be consistent with your pattern. If you do use a general-to-
specific pattern in your text, sentence or paragraph , avoid beginning with an
overly broad claim.

● Explain the difference between theme and rheme. Provide your examples. Why are
the notions of theme and rheme important for the translator/interpreter?
The terms theme and rheme have been defined according to various criteria: The theme
is often understood as known, given, previously mentioned, or presupposed information
present in the context, while the rheme is defined as the negation of these
characteristics. Example: The Lion (Theme) beat the unicorn all round the town
(Rheme). They are important to the translator/interpreter because theme is  the element
which serves as the point of departure of the message, it is that with which the clause is
concerned. The rest of the message, the part in which the Theme is developed is called
the Rheme.

● The categories of cohesion and coherence, theme and rheme and presuppositions are
interrelated. Comment on this interrelationship.

The interrelation of cohesion and coherence, theme and rheme and presuppositions will
influence a reader’s interpretation of everything that comes next. Accordingly, in
cohesive writing, ‘given’ information in a clause need be presented in Theme position,
which acts like a signpost signalling a reader where the meanings have come from and
where they are going to. The new information needs to be in Rheme position. The
balance and movement of a clause between Theme and Rheme is an essential
component in composing a cohesive text. If a writer fails to control the flow of
information from Theme to Rheme, his or her text is difficult for a reader to follow,
because there is no clear signpost directing the reader, who therefore cannot easily
follow the progression of an idea or argument.

1. Take an example of essays that you have just written. Evaluate the kind of thematic
progression that is typical in your way of writing.

The essay I have just written is entitle ‘My Journey during Pandemic’. The kind of
thematic progression of this essay is constant theme progression because the
same theme or part of it appears in a series of propositions although the wording
is not necessarily identical.

2. Look for a sample essay. How does it achieve unity of structure and unity of texture.
An essay entitled ‘Travel and Language’ by: College Essay Guy.

Its unity of structure focused on one topic, having a clear topic sentence and
strong supporting details. However, its unity of texture has cohesive relation
which provides the text with unity and distinguishes it from a non-text.

3. Give differences for the grammatical features that people use differently in
conversation from the way grammar books suggest people use it.

The grammatical features are functional grammar and traditional grammar.

Traditional grammar is concerned with the ways words are ordered inside
sentences and views a language as a set of rules, whereas functional grammar
focuses on the way language is put together such that meaning is communicated
for certain purposes and views a language as a system of meaning.

4. Choose a text you have written and analyze it in terms of pattern of cohesion. Refer to
Bloor and Bloor (2005) Chapter 5.4 for help with your analysis. How do you think your
text could be improved

‘The idea that working in groups is a bad thing is fundamentally mistaken because,
overall, the advantages of this way of configuring the class outweigh the potential
disadvantages. In groups there is the opportunity for peer teaching, which can often be
invaluable. In addition, lessons organised in this way become less teacher centred.
Moreover, in life today, team-working is a feature of every workplace and one of the roles
of university education is to provide a preparation for students’ future careers.’

My text could be improved if the flow of information in a sentence from Theme to

Rheme is crucial in achieving communicative effectiveness in a message.  
Lesson 6. Thematic Progression

Task 1. Look for 2 samples of newspaper articles, then describe their thematic
progression.

This article is constant theme progression because the

theme of one clause is derived from the theme of the
previous clause

This article is linear

progression because
in this type of progression
the rheme or part of the
rheme of one sentence
becomes the theme of the next.

Task 2. Take an example of essays that you have just written. Evaluate the kind of
thematic progression that is typical in your way of writing.

The essay I have just written is entitle ‘My Journey during Pandemic’. The kind of
thematic progression of this essay is constant theme progression because the
same theme or part of it appears in a series of propositions although the wording
is not necessarily identical.
Task 3. Explain the difference between theme and rheme. Provide your examples.

Why are the notions of theme and rheme important for the translator/interpreter?

The terms theme and rheme have been defined according to various criteria: The theme
is often understood as known, given, previously mentioned, or presupposed information
present in the context, while the rheme is defined as the negation of these
characteristics. Example: The Lion (Theme) beat the unicorn all round the town
(Rheme). They are important to the translator/interpreter because theme is  the element
which serves as the point of departure of the message, it is that with which the clause is
concerned. The rest of the message, the part in which the Theme is developed is called
the Rheme.