Textual Quality: Adequacy, Cohesion, and Discourse Markers
Adequacy in Textual Communication
A text must adapt its form and content depending on the communication process. Therefore, it must match the characteristics of the elements that define the situation in which the text occurs, specifically:
- Who are the sender and the recipient?
- To what end is the text created?
- What matter is being discussed?
- Through what channel is it transmitted?
For example, a newspaper must adapt its vocabulary. News announcing the death of someone important should use “deceased” rather than the informal expression “has kicked the bucket.”
Cohesion in Text Structure
Cohesion primarily affects the surface structure of a text. Its various component parts must be formally connected to each other through linguistic mechanisms that highlight the significant structural units. These mechanisms, related to syntax and semantics, are called processes of textual cohesion.
Ellipsis: A Cohesion Mechanism
Ellipsis is a special type of repetition where one of the repeated words is deleted because the linguistic context implies its absence. There are three types of ellipsis:
- Nominal Ellipsis: The elided element is a noun or a noun phrase.
- Verbal Ellipsis: The elided element is a verb (in personal or non-personal form) or a verb phrase.
- Sentential Ellipsis: The elided element is a subordinate clause.
Extra-Sentential Connections: Textual Function Markers
Subsequent paragraphs and sentences within a text are related by elements called *markers*, connectors, or extra-sentential links. These usually belong to the class of *adverbs*, *conjunctions*, *interjections*, or *phrases* (prepositional, adverbial, or conjunctive) and are often highly grammaticalized. They perform, among others, the following textual functions:
- Addendum: Expresses a logical addition or incorporation.
- Opposition: Indicates a contrast between two ideas. These markers are linked to adversative and concessive conjunctions.
- Causation: Establishes a logical relation of cause and consequence.
- Spatial Location: Arranges objects and their parts in space.
- Temporal Location: Orders events and actions chronologically.
- Management or Organization of Discourse: Notes the various parts that structure the text:
- Introduction: in principle, to begin, all this, incidentally, by the way, first of all, I think, I believe, in my opinion, look, look…
- Continuation: good, because then, well, I don’t know, I don’t know, as I say, say…
- Transition: moreover, in another vein…
- Listing: first, second, third, then, next, also, on the other hand…
- Closure: finally, in the end, in a word, in short, to conclude…
- Reformulation: Expresses again what was previously stated to clarify, refine, or synthesize information. It has three basic functions:
- Explanation: that is, that is to say, I mean, or what is, rather…
- Conclusion: in conclusion, in short, in sum, in summary, in a word, to summarize…
- Exemplification: for example, namely, for instance, one example is, specifically, in particular, without going any further, verbigracia…
- Other Textual Functions: These are expressed with their corresponding connectors:
- Approval: better, okay, well, good
- Attenuation: to some extent, to some degree, to some measure
- Concessive: yet, though, with everything, although
- Condition: provided that, as long as, unless
- Digression: as for, regarding