Information About A Detailed Categorization of
Discourse Conventions
One (not the only) way of filling out the details of the schema shown on the "Discovering Discourse Conventions" page:
Conventions of Form (Appearance and Purpose)
- Includes things like:
- Specialized document formats; e.g., memorandums, executive summaries, laboratory reports, et cetera
- Margin widths; use of titles, heading, sub-headings; use of graphics; one-sided or two-sided, et cetera
- Presentation matters
- Modes; e.g., email, mail, phone call, private-in-person, public-in-person, et cetera
- Media; e.g., electronic, paper, brochure, booklet, pamphlet, et cetera
- Fonts and font size
- Indentation
- Specialized document formats; e.g., memorandums, executive summaries, laboratory reports, et cetera
- Includes things like:
- Passive voice v. active voice
- Person (first, second, third)
- Use of adjectives and adverbs (when to and how to)
- Use of personal pronouns
- Use of analogy, simile, and/or metaphor
- Includes things like:
- Typical components; e.g., introduction, body, conclusion
- Arguments and evidence
- Methods of Development; e.g., chronological, spatial, lesser-to-greater, greater-to-lesser, comparison, general-to-specific, specific-to-general, et cetera
- Includes things like:
- Lexical meanings
- For example, does cat refer to a type of animal or a cool dude?
- Jargon
- Phrasal meaning
- Idioms (e.g., "kicked the bucket"=dead)
- Jargon
- Morphologic Meanings
- Specialized text variations that connote particular meaning; e.g, italicized, bold, underlined, superscripted, or subscripted text
- Lexical meanings
- Appropriateness or acceptability judgments of a communication (composed of elements from the other categories) in a given social context with a general or specific purpose. Factors that define a given social context include:
- Status/positions of the participants in the relevant group, organization, community, society, et cetera
- Social, economic, functional, political
- Place/event/organization where communication takes place
- Purpose of the communication
- Status/positions of the participants in the relevant group, organization, community, society, et cetera
- Includes things like:
- Basic Syntax
- Grammar
- Spelling
- Punctuation
- Relative to the other categories, there is little variety among the writing mechanics of various discourse communities
Return to basic list of categories