From sentence to text
From sentence to text

Summary/Abstract: We are used to applying the term text to any stretch of languagewhich makes coherent sense in the particular context of its use. So conspicuous alinguistic reality, the text may be either spoken or written, either as long as a bookor as short as a cry for help. Linguistic form is important but is by no means of itselfsufficient to give a stretch of a language the status of text. For example a road –sign reading Dangerous Corner is an adequate text though comprising only a shortnoun – phrase. It is understood as an existential statement, paraphraseable assomething like There is a dangerous corner near by, with such block languagefeatures as zero article, that are expected in notices of this kind. By contrast, a signat the roadside with the same grammatical structure but reading Critical Remark isnot an adequate text, because although we recognize the structure and understandthe words, the phrase can communicate nothing to us as we drive by, and thus ismeaningless.

• Details
• Contents