Introduction

So far we have looked at texts from the point of view of the surface features that bind them together. This unit looks at the ‘macro-structure’ of texts and considers how different types of texts, with different communicative purposes, are characteristically organised.

Tasks

1 Cohesion and coherence

The following text is invented. In fact, it is made up of sentences from different texts in the previous unit. Yet it has some superficial features of cohesion. Can you identify these?

The earth draws us all toward it. Inside its round fruits, called bolls, are masses of white fibres. But what kind of environment is this? I prefer other people’s. The Canal and River Trust is launching a campaign this week which urges people to feed ducks with frozen peas and sweetcorn instead. Now, why should it do so? Only people who can’t get in do that.

2 Coherence

Cohesion alone is not enough to make a text coherent. Texts have an internal logic, which the reader recognises even without the aid of explicit cohesive devices. For example, the two columns on the following page contain a number of short authentic texts. There are no sentence linkers connecting each of their two sentences. Nevertheless, there is a connection.

• a Can you match each sentence in the first column with the appropriate sentence in the second column to make a complete text?

• b Can you describe the relation between the two sentences in each text, in terms of the kinds of cohesive relations discussed in the previous unit, i.e. addition, contrast, cause/effect, temporality?

• c What does this exercise suggest about how coherence is achieved?

3 Text type

What kind of text is each of the texts in Task 2? Is it an advertisement, a public notice, etc.? In what context was it located? What purpose does each one serve? That is, is it designed to inform, to persuade, to warn, etc.? How is this purpose reflected in the way it is organised?

4 Text structure

• a Look at the following texts. Which of the ‘mini-texts’ in Task 2 do they most resemble, in terms of both function and structure?