Discourse Description: Diverse Linguistic Analyses of a Fund-raising Text

426 Pages·1992·12.83 MB·English

by  William C. Mann (ed.)

DISCOURSE DESCRIPTION
Pragmatics & Beyond
New Series
Editors:
Jacob L. Mey
(Odense University)
Herman Parret
(Belgian National Science Foundation, Universities of Louvain and Antwerp)
Jef Verschueren
(Belgian National Science Foundation, University of Antwerp)
Editorial Address:
Linguistics (GER)
University of Antwerp (UIA)
Universiteitsplein 1
B-2610 Wilrijk
Belgium
Editorial Board:
Norbert Dittmar (Free University of Berlin)
Bruce Fraser (Boston University)
John Heritage (University of California at Los Angeles)
David Holdcroft (University of Leeds)
Catherine Kerbrat-Orecchioni (University of Lyon 2)
Beatriz Lavandera (University of Buenos Aires)
Marina Sbisà (University of Trieste)
Emanuel A. Schegloff (University of California at Los Angeles)
Paul O. Takahara (Kobe University)
Sandra Thompson (University of California at Santa Barbara)
Daniel Vanderveken (University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières)
Teun A. van Dijk (University of Amsterdam)
16
William C. Mann and Sandra A. Thompson (eds)
Discourse Description
DISCOURSE DESCRIPTION
DIVERSE LINGUISTIC ANALYSES
OF A FUND-RAISING TEXT
edited by
WILLIAM  MANN and SANDRA A. THOMPSON
JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY
AMSTERDAM/PHILADELPHIA
1992
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Discourse description : diverse linguistic analyses of a fund-raising text / edited by Wil­
liam C. Mann and Sandra A. Thompson.
p. cm. - (Pragmatics & beyond, ISSN 0922-842X ; new ser. 16)
Includes index.
1. Discourse analysis. 2. Fund-raising. I. Mann, William C. II. Thompson, Sandra A.
III. Series.
P302.D5487 1992
401'.41-dc20 91-46957
ISBN 90 272 5026 X (Eur.)/l-55619-282-7 (US) (Hb) (alk. paper) CIP
© Copyright 1992 - John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or
any other means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. · P.O. Box 75577 · 1070 AN Amsterdam · Netherlands
John Benjamins North America · 821 Bethlehem Pike · Philadelphia, PA 19118 · USA
Table of Contents
Introduction vii
I. TEXT ORGANIZATION 1
Text as Purposive Communication: A Meaning-based Analysis 5
Kathleen Callow and John C. Callow
Rhetorical Structure Theory and Text Analysis 39
William  Mann, Christian M.I.M. Matthiessen and Sandra A.
Thompson
An Analysis of a Plea for Money 79
Bonnie J. F. Meyer
The Discourse Strategy of an Appeals Letter 109
Robert E. Longacre
The Notion of Unspecific versus Specific as one Way of Analysing the 131
Information of a Fund-Raising Letter
Eugene Winter
An Integrated Three-Pronged Analysis of a Fund-Raising Letter 171
Michael P. Jordan
How I Understand a Text — via the Structure of the Happenings and 227
the Telling of Them
Evelyn G. Pike
II. LEXICO-GRAMMATICAL APPROACHES TO THE TEXT 263
The Flow of Ideas in a Sample of Written Language 267
Wallace Chafe
The ZPG Letter: Subjects, Definiteness, and Information-status 295
Ellen F. Prince
VI TABLE OF CONTENTS
Some Lexicogrammatical Features of the Zero Population Growth 327
Text
M... Halliday
Macro-Proposals: Meaning by Degree 359
J.R. Martin
Collocation and Field of Discourse 397
James D. Benson and William S. Greaves
Introduction
Discourse linguistics is a rewarding area of study, but it presents some
unnecessary, avoidable difficulties. One difficulty comes not from the sub­
ject matter, but in discovering and comprehending various approaches.
This book is designed to help reduce that difficulty.
This is a book for students — both the degree-seekers and the resear­
chers. There are many different ways to analyze texts; we have tried to
make various approaches accessible and comparable, by inviting several
analysts to study and report on the same text, by asking them to meet cer­
tain criteria of comparability, and by putting the resulting papers in one vol­
ume.
We selected a text that shows language working in ways that go beyond
the common preconceptions. Rather than choose, say, an encyclopedia
entry as the text for analysis, we have picked a text in which the author is
not simply trying to inform the reader. It is a letter, mailed in bulk by an
organization that is supported by contributions from donors, primarily
donors who receive letters such as this one. Zero Population Growth, the
organization, is based in Washington, D.C. The letter is used by permis­
sion. The organization, ZPG, seeks to represent people who are concerned
about overpopulation, in particular about population growth in the United
States. It seeks to influence public officials and public opinion so that over­
population and related problems are mitigated. The organization is inde­
pendent, not part of any government. It engages in lobbying and publicity
campaigns, using money donated by interested individuals or organizations.
The text therefore must be constructed to have many different com­
munication effects: informing about the organization, producing approval
of the organization and its activities, producing a desire to contribute, and
so forth. These, especially the desire to contribute, require special treat­
ment in the text and so can potentially expose its methods as well as its
structure.
viii INTRODUCTION
The letter is shown next. We have segmented it so that our authors
could refer to its parts in a consistent way; the segmentation is given at the
end of this introduction. The segmentation is intended to be as superficial
and theory-neutral as possible, simply reflecting visible subdivisions. We
have left it to the authors to discern what is significant.
The book has been divided into two sections, the first on text organiza­
tion, and the second on lexical and grammatical concerns. Each section has
its own introduction. This collection represents a wide range of perspectives
and viewpoints on discourse analysis, and we are grateful to our authors,
who have worked hard to contribute to this book; there are others whom
we wish could have contributed, but who, regrettably, could not.
INTRODUCTION
November 22, 1985
Dear Friend of ZPG:
At 7:00 a.m. on October 25, our phones started to ring.
Calls jammed our switchboard all day. Staffers stayed late
into the night, answering questions and talking with reporters
from newspapers, radio stations, wire services and TV stations
SPONSORS in every part of the country.
Isaac Asimov
JGeessoireg BBeorrngasrtdro m When we released the results of ZPG's 1985 Urban Stress
Norman E. Borlaug Test, we had no idea we'd get such an overwhelming response.
Jim Bouton Media and public reaction has been nothing short of incredible!
David R. Brower
Lester R. Brown
Roger Caras At first, the deluge of calls came mostly from reporters
Herman E. Daly
Kingsley Davis eager to tell the public about Urban Stress Test results and
WCaatyhnye D Ho.u Dgalavsi s from outraged public officials who were furious that we had
Anne H. Ehrlich "blown the whistle" on conditions in their cities.
Paul R. Ehrlich
Otis L.Graham, Jr.
Garrett Hardin Now we are hearing from concerned citizens in all parts of
John Holdren the country who want to know what they can do to hold local
SamG.Landfather
Amory Lovins officials accountable for tackling population-related problems
Shirley- MacLaine that threaten public health and well-being.
Pete McClosky
Ian L. McHarg
SHteelwenar tW M. oMtti lliken ZPG' s 1985 Urban Stress Test, created after months of
Dick Ottinger persistent and exhaustive research, is the nation's first
BLionbu sP aPcakuwlinoogd survey of how population-linked pressures affect U.S. cities.
Roger Tory Peterson It ranks 184 urban areas on 11 different criteria ranging from
Russell W. Peterson
Patricia Schroeder crowding and birth rates to air quality and toxic wastes.
Charles E. Scripps
Rodney Shaw
B. F. Skinner The Urban Stress Test translates complex, technical data
Stewart L. Udall into an easy-to-use action tool for concerned citizens, elected
Kenneth E F. Watt
Herbert N. Woodward officials and opinion leaders. But to use it well, we urgently
need your help.
Our small staff is being swamped with requests
for more information and our modest resources
are being stretched to fhe limit.
Your support now is critical. ZPG's 1983 Urban Stress
Test may be our best opportunity ever to get the population
message heard.
1601 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, NW ■ WASHINGTON, DC 20009 ■ [phone]