Discourse Structure and Anaphora: Written and Conversational English (Cambridge Studies in Linguistics, Series Number 48) - Hardcover

Fox, Barbara A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521330823 ISBN 13: 9780521330824

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1987

Synopsis

Barbara Fox's thoughtful study examines the use of anaphora in both written and spoken discourse. Any treatment of anaphora must consider the hierarchical of its source texts-type. Texts may be produced and heard or read linearly, but they are designed and understood hierarchically. Discourse Structure and Anaphora goes beyond the information processing concerns of cognitive science to assess the critical role played in all text-types by social, interactional and affective factors. It also considers the fact that texts are organised by socially accepted conventions. Using conversation analysis and rhetorical structure analysis, this book looks at the distribution of pronouns and full noun phrases in three different genres of English, taking data from naturally occurring face-to-face and telephone conversations, small newspaper and magazine articles and a psychoanalytic biography.

About this title

Review

"...is a tightly argued, well-documented, innovative reformulation of the theory of anaphora that should have an impact on thinking about anaphora in discourse." Studies in Second Language Learning

Book Description

This study uses conversation analysis and rhetorical structure analysis to look at the distribution of pronouns and full noun phrases in three different genres of English. It considers the hierarchical structure of text and the significance of social, interactional and affective factors for text organisation.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1987
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521330823
• ISBN 13: 9780521330824
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192