Gabriella Jenei: Referential Cohesion in Academic Writing • A descriptive and exploratory theory- and corpus-based study of the text-organizing role of reference in written academic discourse
›
7. STAGE 3: IMPROVING THE ANALYTICAL TOOL: NON-COHESIVE REFERENCE TAXONOMY FOR ACADEMIC WRITING
›
7.3. A taxonomy of non-cohesive reference in academic writing
›
(C) EXOPHORIC REFERENCE

(C) EXOPHORIC REFERENCE

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Exophoric reference in RAs occurred when the referring item was used with a noun or noun phrase that referred to some general entity, or the item pointed to some entity that was not explicitly mentioned earlier in the text because it was unnecessary for some reason. It is exophoric reference where most ambiguities in reference occur, and it is not easy to decide whether a presupposed element in the text is necessary for the identification of the real-world referent or not. Based on the analysis of the 10 research articles, there are a great number of definite nouns that have a general meaning (C1–2), but three are two main types.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

First, if the noun has generic reference (C1) “it refers to a whole class rather than to an individual person or thing” (Biber et al., 1991, 265), and in this case, the definite article is not cohesive. While with an uncountable noun there are a variety of ways to express generic reference, with countable nouns there are fewer options. Either the plural form with zero article may be used (e.g., Dolphins are intelligent animals.) or the singular form with an indefinite or a definite article is used: e.g., The / A good language learner has efficient learning strategies (Biber et al., 1991). A simple test to check whether a singular countable noun has generic reference is to replace the article preceding it with any. If it does not change the meaning or the reference of the noun, most probably it has generic reference. Note that the definite article with the plural form is only used for generic reference with nationality words (e.g., the Americans) (Biber et al., 1991, 266).

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

However, not all definite nouns with a generic reference are so easy to identify. Sometimes the full meaning of an item is clear, but not from any specific presupposed item, nor is it general. Our second type of general reference includes those items that get their full interpretations from the textual context (C2). It is illustrated in s. 121 from RA7 where the secondary sector in itself would not tell us if it is the secondary sector of the economy or industrial sector or something else. It is not generic, it does not mean any sector, but the interpretation does not need a specific presupposed item either.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

s. 121 There were 18 teachers from the secondary sector (three specialists in SEN) and 16 teachers from primary schools. (RA7)
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

It is from both the immediate textual context teachers, primary schools and the topic of the paper that it can be inferred that the secondary sector of education is referred to. Therefore, this item does not need a cohesive link to be interpreted.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Proper names (C3) – such as organizations, countries, tests, examinations, etc. – containing a definite article – are only cohesive if they are abbreviated as in the example from RA 10 above: Structure Building Framework ← the SBF; but not when the full form is repeated.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Time or place adverbs (C4) are also exophoric if they point to the circumstances outside the text; for example: s. 111 In the 2005–6 academic year, 407 students (15 classes) were assigned to one of four bands … (RA6)

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The last type of exophoric items that found include items that do not need a presupposed item, because they have one unique referent (C5), and their meaning will be understood without any explicit antecedent, for example: the sun, the world, the Queen of the United Kingdom.
 
chevron_left
chevron_right
Tartalomjegyzék navigate_next
Keresés a kiadványban navigate_next
A kereséshez, kérjük, lépj be!
Könyvjelzőim navigate_next
A könyvjelzők használatához
be kell jelentkezned.
Jegyzeteim navigate_next
Jegyzetek létrehozásához
be kell jelentkezned.
    Kiemeléseim navigate_next
    Mutasd a szövegben:
    Szűrés:
    Kiemelések létrehozásához
    MeRSZ+ előfizetés szükséges.
      Útmutató elindítása
      delete
      Kivonat
      fullscreenclose
      printsave