1.5.1

Discourse Structure

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Discourse Structure

Discourse structure is concerned primarily with how the text is structured – essentially the journey a text takes from start to finish.

Analysis of discourse structure

Analysis of discourse structure

  • An understanding of how a text functions for the reader can help you attain the very highest AO1 marks in textual analysis questions. But it is not the sort of structure that you will have been asked to look at for GCSE English Language.
  • More than anything, a text will want to be cohesive which means features work together to produce the end result. You will need to look at a couple of areas: referencing and reader guiding.
Referencing

Referencing

  • In terms of referencing, texts can look forward or back. It wouldn’t be interesting for the reader if all that was written was:
    • Rachel drove to work. Rachel then walked into her classroom. Rachel then made a cup of tea.
  • The piece becomes more effective if we use a reference which refers back to something we already know:
    • Rachel drove to work. She then walked into her classroom. She then made a cup of tea.
  • Okay, the piece is still boring, but it is more cohesive.
Anaphoric and cataphoric references

Anaphoric and cataphoric references

  • Replacing ‘Rachel’ with ‘she’ is called an anaphoric reference. Anaphoric references look back at what has already been said.
  • On the opposite side of that, cataphoric references look forward (think cataphoric and catapult – a catapult flings you forward). For example:
    • After she drove to work, Rachel walked into her classroom and then made a cup of tea.
Reader guiding

Reader guiding

  • A reader can be guided through a text in many ways, and often you will have to think on your feet in the exam to spot this.
  • But most texts will use discourse markers which segments a discourse into sections.
  • In addition, headings will also clearly guide the reader to either a part of interest to them or to sum up what that section will be about.
  • Remember, the examiner does not want to see you just spotting these features – they want you to explain their function in guiding the reader.
Jump to other topics
1

Language Levels

1.1

Assessment Objectives

1.1.1Assessment Objectives
1.2

Lexis

1.2.1Introduction1.2.2Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns1.2.3Collective Nouns1.2.4Adjectives1.2.5Main, Auxiliary & Copular Verbs1.2.6Dynamic & Stative Verbs1.2.7Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs1.2.8Mood of Verbs1.2.9Adverbs1.2.10Personal, Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns1.2.11Relative & Demonstrative Pronouns1.2.12Determiners1.2.13Conjunctions1.2.14Synonyms, Antonyms & Phonological Features1.2.15End of Topic Test - Lexis
1.3

Grammar

1.3.1Morphology1.3.2Clauses1.3.3Phrases1.3.4Present Tense1.3.5Past Tense1.3.6Future Tense1.3.7End of Topic Test - Grammar
1.4

Semantics & Pragmatics

1.4.1Semantics1.4.2Pragmatics
1.5

Discourse Structure, Graphology & Orthography

1.5.1Discourse Structure1.5.2Graphology & Orthography1.5.3End of Topic Test - Semantics, Graphology etc.
2

Language, The Individual & Society

2.1

Children’s Language Development

2.1.1The Exam2.1.2Phonemes, Vocal Tract & Articulation2.1.3Writing About Phonemes2.1.4Phonological Simplification2.1.5A Child's First Year & Consonant Acquisition2.1.6Beginning Stages of Language2.1.7Lexical Development2.1.8Stages of Development2.1.9End of Topic Test - Child Language Development
2.2

Children's Language Development - Theories

2.2.1Behaviourism2.2.2Interactionism2.2.3Challenging Interactionism2.2.4Nativism2.2.5Nativism - Exam Answer2.2.6Cognitivism2.2.7Social Constructionism2.2.8Writing About Spoken Acquisition2.2.9End of Topic Test - Development Theories
2.3

Literacy Development: Reading

2.3.1Introduction2.3.2Phonics vs Whole Word2.3.3Debates in Reading2.3.4Modelling Reading Acquisition2.3.5Other Reading Theories2.3.6End of Topic Test - Reading
2.4

Literacy Development: Writing

2.4.1Orthography2.4.2Kroll's Theory2.4.3Barclay's Theory2.4.4Creativity vs Accuracy2.4.5Other Writing Theories2.4.6The Exam2.4.7End of Topic Test - Writing
3

Language Diversity & Change

3.1

The Importance of Gendered Language

3.1.1Writing About Gender3.1.2Dominance Theory3.1.3Interruptions - Zimmerman & West3.1.4Deficit Theory3.1.5Difference Model3.1.6Difference Model - Men3.1.7Diversity Model3.1.8End of Topic Test - Gendered Language
3.2

Social Groups

3.2.1Writing About Social Groups3.2.2Social Class3.2.3Social Class 23.2.4Age3.2.5Age - Teen Speak3.2.6Milroy’s Belfast Study3.2.7Labov’s Martha’s Vineyard Study3.2.8End of Topic Test - Social Groups
3.3

Occupational Groups

3.3.1Writing About Occupational Groups3.3.2Jargon3.3.3Conversations3.3.4Hierarchy & Power3.3.5End of Topic Test - Occupational Groups
3.4

Accents & Dialects

3.4.1Writing About Accent & Dialect3.4.2Introduction to Accents & Dialects3.4.3Accents - Matched Guide Experiment3.4.4Accents - Received Pronunciation & Brummie3.4.5Dialects - Dialectal Variations3.4.6Accent & Dialect Case Study - London3.4.7End of Topic Test - Accents & Dialects
3.5

Language Change

3.5.1Writing About Language Change3.5.2Modelling Change3.5.3Modelling Change 23.5.4Lexical Change3.5.5Semantic Change3.5.6End of Topic Test - Language Change
3.6

History of English

3.6.1Old English3.6.2Old English 23.6.3Middle English3.6.4Middle English 23.6.5Early Modern English3.6.6Late Modern English3.6.7Present Day English3.6.8Global English3.6.9American English3.6.10Modelling Global English3.6.11End of Topic Test - History of English

Practice questions on Discourse Structure

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What kind of reference does this sentence use?<br><br><b>Because he is such a liability, I am taking John home.Multiple choice
  2. 2
    What kind of reference does this sentence use?<br><br><b>I hate Rachel because she is mean to me. Multiple choice
  3. 3
    Which sentences use anaphoric references?True / false
  4. 4
    How can a writer guide a reader through their text?Fill in the list
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Pragmatics

Graphology & Orthography