Coherence II - Explaining Sense: Propositions, Themes, and Discourse Relations

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the notes on propositions, themes, and discourse relations in coherence and text structure.

Proposition

The meaning of a simple affirmative sentence; the minimal unit of meaning; the core of a clause (predicate plus arguments).

Propositional Analysis

a  list  of  minimal  meaning  units   showing  which  ones  are  directly  related.

Our  stony  soil  provides  excellent  drainage.  

PROVIDE  (SOIL  Subject  DRAINAGE  Object)  

If  you  were  to  enumerate  the  various  uses  of  paper,  you  would  find  the  list  almost   without  end.

1  (CONDITION,  2);  2  (ENUMERATE,  3);  3  (USES,  PAPER);  4  (VARIOUS,  3);  5  (FIND,  6);       6  (WITHOUT  END,  3);  7  (ALMOST,  6)

Propositional Relations – (Discourse Relations) : definition + 2 types

The semantic–pragmatic connections between sentences. They act as the “cement” between propositions, holding the text together. These relations can be explicit (with connectors) or implicit, and they shape the overall text structure.

Additive relations: coordinated  structures  relating  to  one  another  through   addition,  contrast,  disjunction  etc.  

Gold  is  a  precious  metal.  It  is  prized  for  two  important  characteristics.  (addition)

Causal relations:  subordinated  structures  expressing  more  specific  logical   relations,  e.g.  reason,  consequence,  condition  etc.  

Our  stony  soil  provides  excellent  drainage.  There  is  never  too  much  water  around  for   the  vines  to  soak  up.  (consequence)

TYPES OF CAUSAL RELATIONS(Propositional Relations – (Discourse Relations))

REASON:  cause  for  action;( because,since0  

MEANS:  instrument  to  achieve  a  goal;  (by/with)

CONSEQUENCE:   result  of  an  action;(so,therefore)  

PURPOSE:  aim  of  an  action;(in order to, for the sake of)  

CONCESSION:  cause  without  logical   consequence(if,unless)

Rhetorical Relations: definition + 6 types

Relations speakers or writers use with the intention of changing the opinion, position, or behavior of readers or listeners.

①  EVIDENCE:  Air  pollution  got  worse  in  the  city.  Trees  are  covered  in  fine  dust.  

②  JUSTIFICATION:  I  ate  up  all  the  cake.  No  one  seemed  to  want  any  more.  

③  CONCLUSION:  The  bike  is  gone.  He  must  already  have  left.  

④  CONTRAST:  This  beer  here  has  lots  of  fizz.  The  stuff  yesterday  was  smoother  and   didn’t  sparkle  that  much.  

⑤  MOTIVATION:  You  like  being  ahead  of  the  news?  Order  a  copy  our  magazine.  

⑥  SOLUTION:  The  chocolate  was  dry  and  crunchy.  The  new  recipe  will  greatly   improve  smoothness  and  creaminess.

Rhetorical Structure Theory(Texts as Relations)

RST explains how sentences in a text are connected by meaning, with some being main ideas and others supporting them.

A theory that models text structure through rhetorical relations. It divides texts into spans (units), each with a nucleus (essential part) and satellite (supporting part), showing how clauses and sentences connect to form discourse.

EXAMPLE

(1)  Gold  never  needs  to  be  polished  and  will  remain  beautiful  forever.  (NUCLEUS)          

(2)  For  example,  a  Macedonian  coin  remains  as  untarnished  today  as  the  day  it  was   made  25  centuries  ago.  (SATELLITE)  

SPAN: 1 Nucleus-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­evidence-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­2 Satellite  

>>  Rhetorical  Relation:  EVIDENCE  

Texts as Sequences of Propositions

are organized structures where each proposition contributes to the overall meaning and coherence of the text.

• Think of a text like a chain of small statements (propositions).

• Example:

  • "It is raining."

  • "The ground is wet."

  • "People are carrying umbrellas."

Texts as Discourse Relations

• Here we don’t just see the sentences as separate, but we look at how they are connected.

• Example:

  • "It is raining because the clouds are heavy." (cause–effect relation)

  • "It is raining. Therefore, people carry umbrellas." (reason–consequence relation)

• The text is a network of meanings where sentences are linked by relations like cause, contrast, explanation, elaboration, etc.

Texts as Hierarchical Relations of Spans

how sentences and ideas group into bigger chunks (paragraphs, sections, whole text).

• Here we see text like a tree: small ideas group together into bigger ideas.

• Example:

  • Paragraph 1 (about the rain)

    • Sentence 1: "It is raining."

    • Sentence 2: "The ground is wet."

  • Paragraph 2 (about people)

    • Sentence 3: "People are carrying umbrellas."

    • Sentence 4: "Children are wearing raincoats."

• So, text is not just a flat line of sentences, but an organized structure with main ideas and supporting ideas.

Information Structure in Sentences

THEME AND RHEME – THE ORGANIZATION OF PROPOSITIONS

Theme: old/known/given  info;  indicates  the  ‘aboutness’  of  a  discourse  (basis)  

Rheme: new/unknown/novel  info;  makes  a  statement  about  the  theme  (nucleus)

Theme types 3

Topical: the  given/known  information  relating  to  the  discourse  topic

Interpersonal: a  statement  revealing  an  attitude/evaluation  of  the  entire   proposition  (i.e.  topical  theme  +  rheme)  

Textual: utterance  elements  that  link  a  proposition  to  the  surrounding  discourse   (co-­‐text)

Thematic Progression: definition + 4 types

The typical sequence of Theme (what the sentence is about) and Rheme (what is said about it) in a text. This pattern shapes how the content is organized.

“The dog (Theme) is barking (Rheme)” → “The barking (Theme) annoys the neighbors (Rheme)

1. SIMPLE LINEAR PROGRESSION: rheme  of  preceding  sentence  becomes  theme  of  following  sentence  

2. PROGRESSION WITH A CONTINUOUS THEME: one  and  the  same  theme  is  treated  in  many  subsequent  sentences  

3. PROGRESSION WITH A DERIVED THEME: many  consecutive  sentences  deal  with  a  theme  that  is  not  explicitly  mentioned   (hyper-­‐theme)  

4. PROGRESSION WITH A SPLIT RHEME: a  preceding  rheme  splits  into  two  or  more  themes

Simple Linear Progression(Thematic Progression)

rheme  of  preceding  sentence  becomes  theme  of  following  sentence  

(1)  Larry  was  playing  in  the  garden.  

(2)  The  garden  was  just  by  the  roadside.  

(3)  On   the  road  many  cars  thundered  by.  

(4)  Cars  frightened  Larry  because  of  their  loud   noise.  

(5)  The  roar  from  the  traffic  would  always  make  Larry  sad  and  angry.

Progression with a Continuous Theme(Thematic Progression)

one  and  the  same  theme  is  treated  in  many  subsequent  sentences  

(1)  Melbourne  is  a  great  city.  

(2)  It  offers  a  wonderful  mix:  

(3)  it’s  cosmopolitan  and   vibrant,  with  fantastic  parks  and  walks  for  pedestrians,  cycle  paths,  good  public   transport,  great  restaurants  and  unbeatable  sporting  facilities.  

(4).  It  is  self-­‐contained   and  compact  in  a  way  that  Sydney  is  not  –  and  less  up  itself.    

Progression with a Derived Theme(Thematic Progression)

many  consecutive  sentences  deal  with  a  theme  that  is  not  explicitly  mentioned   (hyper-­‐theme)

(1)  First  the  radiator  in  the  car  went  bad.  

(2)  Then  the  starter  went  out.  

(3)  Next  it  was   a  flat  tire.  

(4).  Then  the  breaks  wouldn’t  work  well.  

(5)  After  they  were  fixed  the   transmission  went  out.  

(6)  It  had  been  clear  to  me  for  a  while  that  the  car  had  to  go.  

Progression with a Split Rheme (Thematic Progression)

a  preceding  rheme  splits  into  two  or  more  themes

(1)  Gold,  a  precious  metal,  is  prized  for  two  important  characteristics.  

(2)  First  of  all,   gold  has  a  lustrous  beauty  that  is  resistant  to  corrosion.  

(6)  Another  important   characteristic  of  gold  is  its  usefulness  to  industry  and  science.