The writes parameter

The writes parameter examines the process or the act of writing as that enhances the structuring of texts and writing development. The writes parameter is also referred to as “sorting the terminology” by Grabe and Kaplan (1996:204). This term also includes the information structuring properties, according to Grabe and Kaplan (1996:49). They postulate that the process of writing involves the author’s skills of creating relationship between sentences and paragraphs in a text. The writer’s skills of writing encompass various language conventions and linguistic features such as; the opening statements, external references, stages of information sequencing and the functional purpose of the writing process of the writer.

2.26.2.2 (i) Properties of the writes parameter

Grabe and Kaplan propose that the following the components address the information structuring under the writes parameter:

Topic sentence structure, Topic continuity, Topic structure analysis, Topic comment analysis, Given-new relations, Theme-rheme relations, and Focus-presupposition

• Topic sentence structure

The topic sentence structure is concerned with the examination of a written text and discourse simplification and is based on the work of Lauttamatti (1987) as Grabe and Kaplan (1996:52) has referred. The relations between the topic discourse, the topic subject of a sentence, the syntactic subject, and the initial sentence element are examined. Various possible patterns in the written texts are explored through isolating the topic subject of a sentence and then followed by the examination of the patterns of progression, which the topic subjects form in a text. Grabe and Kaplan assert that the topic sentence structure provides a number of information structuring developments which in turn provides specific teaching suggestions for students who appear to be writing texts with deviation, less readable, and less topical organization.

• Topic Continuity

Grabe and Kaplan (1996:53) refer to the work of Givon (1983, 1985) in their examination of the topic continuity. The topic refers to the noun phrases (NPs), which are continuously mentioned or restated in the ongoing discourse. This means that a noun phrase becomes a topic because of its continuous mention in the given-new chaining of discourse, but this requires specific prior mention in order to count something as a topic under analysis. In order for a noun phrase (NP) to become a topic depends on the following measures:

• How far back in the text the last previous mention occurs,

• The number of potential competing noun phrase (NP) referents in the immediate discourse; and

• The strength of its persistence in the oncoming discourse • Topic structure analysis

Grabe and Kaplan (1996:54) assert that the topic structure analysis is concerned with the study of differences in high- and low-quality writing and differences in revision strategies.

This study is conducted by looking for topical and sequential chaining patterns in written texts, that is, the progression of the topic in the written texts, which helps the learners to be able to write freely, to identify the information structuring patterns when analysing a text. The topic structure analysis reflects the analysis of the main topics, sub-topics and the coherence of the information in that particular written text.

• Topic comment analysis

The topic comment analysis focuses on what the sentence is about or the theme of the sentence. Grabe and Kaplan (1996:51) define the topic as referring to the heading of the text, that is, what does the heading or the topic addresses. The topic is followed by the comment, which forms the analytic part or the clause that defines the topic. This means that the comment is required to give the more detailed interpretation, intuition, and explanation about the noun phrase (NP), which is the topic.

• Given new information

According to Grabe and Kaplan, given information is information already known, that is, the background information, which can be in a form of a topic or headline or may appear in the introductory part of a text in the case of as written texts. The new information refers to the unused or complete brand new information, which is readily recognized by the reader when introduced. Grabe and Kaplan (1996:55) refer to the use of the new information as comprising of inferable (which refers to the information that can be presented in prior discourse) and containing inferable information (which refers to the entities which are recoverable as part of a collective reference). Grabe and Kaplan (1996:51) postulates that, “the organization or given information before new information makes texts more readable and memorable.” It is on the reader perspective to determine whether the information is new or known.

• Theme-rheme relations

The theme refers to the first mentioned phrase in a clause, which forms the point of departure of the writer. It (theme) has relation with the subject of the sentence. Grabe and Kaplan (1996:50) quotes the work of Halliday (1985, 1994) who defines the theme- rheme structure in texts as independent concepts whereby the theme represent the point of departure in a structure, in contrast, the rheme represents the move away from the speakers’ starting point. Grabe and Kaplan (1996:50) claim that theme-rheme is focusing

on writer’s response as opposed to the given-new information, which is based on the audiences’ perspective.

• Focus presupposition relations

According to Grabe and Kaplan, the focus presupposition relation refers to the highlighted or focused information. This can also be referred to new information, which can be contrasted in an unexpected way, a background, and presupposed or assumed information. The focus relation can be associated or be synonymous with the new information whilst the presupposed can be associated or be synonymous with the given information. In addition to the components of the write parameter, are the elements of the text structure are identified.

2.26.2.2 (ii) Properties (elements) of the text structure

The following structure components will be addressed as they form part of the textuality and the structuralism of a text: Text cohesion; Text coherence, and The lexicon.

2.26.2.2.1 (ii) Text cohesion

Text cohesion is a means, which is used to signal relationships that exist between sentences or clausal units in a text. Grabe and Kaplan (1996: 56) refer to the work of Halliday and Hassen (1976, 1989), who define cohesion as “focusing on comprehensive examination of systematic device used to connect the surface of texts.” Cohesion can be identified by the use of the following devices: reference, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction and the lexical relationships of repetition, inclusion, synonymy and collocation. Lexical cohesion can be identified by the use of lexical collocation relation’s demonstrative and comparative reference.

2.26.2.2.2 (ii) Text coherence

The focus in text coherence concerns the notion of how readers interpret a text as coherent and how writers interpret control language structure to convey a sense of coherence, as well as the relation of the writer to the text. According to Grabe and Kaplan, the coherent text is constructed by the reader’s interpretative system by making a number of bridging inferences, which are linguistically in nature. Grabe and Kaplan postulate that the main concern of the reader is the identification of clear linguistic links between sentences in order to prove that the text is coherent or not. This identification can be

conducted by the investigating the following elements, which reflect that the reader interpretation and description of a coherent text shows a series of connected events and interprets the linguistic cues under that assumption: relevance (seeking relevance in texts by comparing the text to other information), mental model of comprehension, subordination (i.e. cause, condition, comparison, specification), co-ordination (addition, restatement), and the theme or the intent or purpose of the author.

2.26.2.2.3 (ii) The lexicon

Grabe and Kaplan (1996:64) define the lexicon as the “mental word list” because it provides lexical entries used in text construction. It also provides the basic meaning (that is, the semantic sense) and inference signals which reflect the syntactic components such as prepositions, articles, existential, ’there’, and the ideational content of the text. According to Grabe and Kaplan, the lexicon is also characterized by the choice of verbs, such as: mental verbs, verbs of perception, psychological verbs infinitives, verbs if notion, verbs of manner, location, time, and evaluation and so forth. Lexical components that play an important role in conveying the exact meaning and attitude through its diction explores units such as pronouns, demonstratives, ellipsis markers such ‘does too’ and substitution markers such as ‘the other one.’