Advanced English Grammar: Syntax, Structure, and Discourse
Basic Concepts of Functional Grammar
Unit 1: Language and Meaning in Communication
Functional Grammar: This approach emphasizes how grammar connects forms (words, phrases) to their functions (roles in communication) and meanings in context. It views language as a system of choices, where different forms are selected based on the speaker’s intent and the context.
Communicative Acts: These include various speech acts, such as making statements (e.g., She is coming tomorrow), asking questions (e.g., Is
Read MoreAnglo-Saxon Literature: Historical Sources and Poetic Forms
OE Literature: Sources and Poetic Traditions
OE Literature: Collection Differences
While collection differences work, it is difficult to know exactly what happened during this period. Following the Christianization of Britain, Britain received written records in Latin from the Roman Church. The written word was of crucial importance as services depended upon the reading of holy scriptures.
Historical Sources for the Anglo-Saxon Period
Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (731)
- A description
Analyzing Speech Acts and Politeness Strategies in Dialogue
Analyzing Speech Acts and Politeness Strategies
This document analyzes a sample dialogue, identifying speech acts, politeness strategies, and types of moves used by the speakers.
Turn-Taking, Speech Acts, and Politeness
The following tables break down the conversation, examining each turn in detail.
First Part of the Conversation
| Turn | Speech Act | Politeness Strategy | Type of Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle: Mr. Hibberd’s office! | Greeting | Bald on record | Opening |
| Peter: Hello, Can I speak to Brian Hibberd, please? | Greeting, Directive |
Mastering Communication: Skills, Channels, and Social Meaning
Communication Skills: Interpreting Speeches
Effective communication requires a minimum level of understanding. To achieve this, individuals must possess certain communication skills—the capabilities that enable a person to connect with others, comprehend, and relate. These capabilities include managing gestures, tones, expressions, and nonverbal codes appropriate for each situation, as well as the knowledge and use of both oral and written language.
Communication Skills:
- Language Proficiency: This
Discourse Grammar Essentials: Cohesion, Reference, and Text Structure
Central Idea of Discourse Grammar
In “Discourse Grammar,” Paltridge highlights the idea that grammar discussions are no longer limited to sentences but extend to include discourse as well. This concept, expounded by Hughes and McCarthy (1998), emphasizes a strong connection among form, function, and context. In the initial phase of the development of discourse analysis, it was thought to be the analysis of language just beyond the sentence. However, with the passage of time, discussions moved
Read MoreLanguage Variation: Types, Dialects, and Registers
Linguistic Varieties
Language is not uniform and undergoes numerous changes depending on various factors. These variations can be categorized as:
- Historical or Generational: Related to time, demonstrating how language evolves and manifests differently across eras and generations.
- Geographic or Dialectal: Dependent on the geographical origin of speakers.
- Social: Originating according to age groups, gender, social or cultural level, and profession.
- Functional or Stylistic (Registers): Dependent on the