Reading and Writing Skills

TEXT AS CONNECTED DISCOURSE

Discourse- is the use of words to exchange thoughts and ideas in an orderly and organized manner. It deals not only
with the grammar aspect of a language but also with the features of the text and the relationship of words to one
another.

-from the Latin word “Discursus” meaning Argument or Conversation.

Discourse markers—or conjunctions, connectives, and linking devices—help connect ideas to form a logical text.

Text -is the “data” in which ideas are presented in print form. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as “the original
words of a piece of writing or a speech.”

Examples of Discourse:

1. Review, Critique or Reaction Paper

2. Diary or Journal
3. Recipe
4. Position Paper
5. Essays
Discourse also involves how language is used to:

1. Convey meanings
a. Literal meaning- the dictionary meaning of a word/words
b. Figurative meaning- the contextual meaning of a word/words
2. Propel or dictate Action
3. Provoke a specific response

General Purposes of a Discourse

1. To inform (through facts and evidences)

2. To persuade
a. Appeal to Emotion- Pathos
b. Appeal to Logic- Logos
c. Appeal to Ethics (Right or Wrong)- Ethos
3. To entertain- uses Humor

Discourse can be influenced by:

1. Culture (Customs, Beliefs, Traditions, Language and Attitudes)

2. Social Environment (Where did the author lived, timeline, historical periods)
3. Personal Experiences