Exam topics

  1. Variation in language: according to the user and according to use.
    
  1. Language functions and their implementation in sentence structure.
    
  1. Choices in the act of communication: subjective vs. objective representation, semantic roles of clause elements.
    
  1. Choices in the act of communication: general vs. restricted validity, direct vs. indirect speech presentation.
    
  1. Choices in the act of communication: static vs. dynamic representation, factual, hypothetical and neutral representation.
    
  1. Linking and grammatical cohesion – referring expressions.
    
  1. Linking and grammatical cohesion – substitution and ellipsis.
    
  1. Linking and grammatical cohesion – conjunctives.
    
  1. Information processing. Theme and focus. Marked focus and marked theme.
    
  1. Fronting, inversion and cleft sentences.
    
  1. Postponement and existential sentences.
    
  1. Written vs. spoken language.
    
  1. Formal vs. informal language. 
    
  1. Polite vs. familiar language. 
    
  1. Speech acts and politeness.
    

dialect

register

field

mode

tenor

activity

relationships

written/spoken, humorous...

standard

nonstandard

regional

social

rhotic, nonrhotic

neutral, RP

COMPONENTS of the act of communication

addresser

adressee

context

contact

code

message

FUNCTIONS

emotive

phatic

poetic

referential

metalingual

conative

objective - presented as a fact

subjective - information presented from his point of view

can be indicated by modal expressions

epistemic (extrinsic) expresses degrees of deduced certainty (possibility, prediction - they might...)

deontic (intrinsic) - expresses control over the event or action - permission, obligation, volition

He must learn to swim... You may go to the party

emotional expressions - Gosh! Wow! Yeeeey

general - valid for everyone (one, you, we... - general subject)

restricted validity - introduces a specific point of view (To him, she is perfect.)

direct speech presentation

indirect speech presentation

quotetiontation marks, sometimes reporting clause

not exact words - she said something like...

STATIC - the action is regarded as a state/quality not in the process of changing

DYNAMIC - the action/process is considered in development and thus potentionally leading to a new state (dynamic verbs...)

John is being funny. (Right now, probably it is going to change soon.)

factual - fact

neutral - He tried to get there.

hypothetical - wish, suppose, would like, owuld rather... (assumes falsehood)

exophora

endophora

anaphora

cataphora

coherence

cohesion

grammatical cohesive relation

lexical

structural

additive

adversive

causal (cause, reason, result, purpose, condition) - relate new information to what has been already said

temporal

contrast, consession

sequence - then, text, after that

simultaneity - at the same time, meanwhile...

enumeration

reinforcement (on top of that, furthermore

exemplification, explanation (for instance)

summation and generalization (in conclusion)

personal reference

demonstrative reference

comparative reference

SUBSTITUTION

ELLIPSIS

both nominal, verbal, clausal

textual ellipsis (recoverable from the verrbal context)

situational ellipsis

structural ellipsis (depends on grammatical knowledge)

theme - topic - initial position

focus

end-focus

end-weight

moved to earlier position

(divided focus)

theme and focus coincide (such as one-word utterances- respenses to questions - who did this? MARY.

emphatic, contrastive, semi-given marked theme (this, these issues...)

connected to tenor

formal - in socially careful and distant situations (public speeches, academic writings)

informal - more intimate and casual situations

most grammatical structures are regarded as neutral, but there are usually some TYPICAL MARKERS of FORMALITY:

complex sentences

explicit clause and sentence linkers

non-finite and verbless clauses

uncontracted forms

generic pronoun one

politeness principle

do not impose

give options

make the adressee feel good

positive polightness - warmth towards the adressee, compliments

negative politeness - tact, tentativeness, avioding imposition on others

representatives

directives

commissives

expressives

declarations

declarations, resigrantions

apology, thanking, congratulations

bets, promisses

questions, commands, requests, threats

statements, announcements, reports, conclusions

written - regarded as secondary

speech - socialize individuals

exchange information

referential, emotive, phatic, conative

permanent

transmission of cultural knowledge, literature, history, religion

entertainment

for information

social contact

more simpler, normal non-fluency, checking understanding, lexical sparsity, interaction features

fronting without inversion

fronting with inversion

cleft sentences

a sentence element (C,O,A) may be moved to the front of the sentence - thus the fronted element is given a kind of psychological prominence

achieves emphatic theme, contrastive theme, semi-given theme (these issues...) HAPPY she was.

subject-verb inversion normally takes place with INTRANSITIVE verbs or POSITION (be, stay, lie) or verbs of MOTION

subject-operator inversion - takes place when the fronted element has negative meaning (if there is no operator, then DO is used

Seldom did words of approval pass his lips...

the man he hated the most...

IT was Robert THAT I gave my money to. (empty theme)

PSEUDO-CLEFT - WHat he's done is write a letter.

POSTMONEMENT - long and complex phrases - end-weight principle

EXISTENTIAL SENTENCES -THERE ARE some problems that i would like to talk about... (other then BE - here may come a day we will have to talk again, if regarding space, there can be omitted)

postponing objects.. clausal subject - IT is worth the effort, trying to be a good teacher

POSTPONING AGENTIVE SUBJECT - in order to achieve passive voice (The book that you are looking for was taken be ROBERT.