This paper examines the linguistic realization of continuative and contrastive discourse relations (DRs) in English argumentative discourse, focusing on both discourse as product and discourse as process. Based on a corpus of 25 argumentative texts with corresponding experimental data stemming from an editing-based task, this study aims to answer the questions of (i) how continuative and contrastive DRs are linguistically realized (i.e., encoded in coherence strands or additionally signaled) in English argumentative discourse, and (ii) how their signaling unfolds during the real-time process of discourse editing. The quantitative analysis of the edited texts shows that contrastive DRs are signaled throughout (e.g., through contrastive discourse connectives), whereas continuative DRs are more frequently encoded only. In addition, the qualitative analysis of the experimental data (i.e., keystroke logging data and corresponding metadata) reveals that while the signaling of contrastive DRs is made manifest right from the start of the editing process across the data, continuative DRs tend to be signaled only at a later stage. This can be explained by the semantic overlap between different types of continuative DRs, which requires that the participants (re-)negotiate the exact nature (and thus the appropriate linguistic signal) of a particular continuative DR more frequently than contrastive DRs, which are clearly interpreted and thus readily signaled as contrastive throughout.
This paper examines the linguistic realization of continuative discourse relations in British English written
discourse comparing narrative and argumentative dyadically edited texts. The data comprise 18 co-edited texts and metadata
documenting the editing process (keystroke logs and transcripts of the dyads negotiating discursive well-formedness). The focus of
analysis lies on the linguistic realization of coordinating continuation and narration, which keep the discourse
on the same level, and on the linguistic realization of subordinating elaboration and explanation, which
introduce a deeper level in the discourse hierarchy. Special attention is paid to contexts in which the discourse relations are
encoded in intra-clausal coherence strands, and to contexts in which they are additionally signalled in the peripheries. The
quantitative analysis of the signalling of continuative discourse relations shows genre-specific preferences for the signalling of
continuation and elaboration in the argumentative data, and continuation, narration and
explanation in the narrative data. Both the products of the edited data, the co-edited texts, and the metadata show
that the linguistic realization and interpretation of continuative discourse relations are – to varying degrees – subject to
recontextualization. We suggest that this variation provides evidence for (1) discourse relations as constitutive parts of
discourse grammar, and (2) genre as a blueprint which constrains their linguistic realization.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.