Text as a Pragmatic Aspect

Abstract

The structural analysis, as one of the types of descriptive approach, has traditionally been used to study the linguistic units in hierarchy. This analysis has made great contribution to all levels, including the level of syntax because syntax is by nature hierarchic. In sentence we cannot say or write two things at the same time. The sentences have to be presented one after the other, in linear order. Therefore the problem is how to signal hierarchies through linear presentation. One of such attempts has been made by the representatives of Prague School of Linguistics (Mathesius, 1967). The `Praguean` influence has been widespread and long-lasting. Its main emphasis lay on the analysis of language as a system of functionally related units. The notion `unit` reminds in some way the Saussurean influence. In particular, it led to the distinction between the phonetic and the phonological analysis of sounds, the analysis of the phoneme into distinctive features as well as of the theme-rheme or communicative structure of sentence.