Tutorial sheet for Discourse Understanding

Exercises

One theory of Discourse Structure analyses discourse into "Conversational Moves". Moves are recoverable from the linguistic structure of the discourse being analysed.

This view of discourse presupposes some rules, such as:

  1. Conversation is a series of moves linked by functional relations
  2. Utterances within the same context serve the same conversational move
  3. A move has preconditions and effects associated with the underlying discourse structure

One way of discovering moves is by looking for key words (or "clue words") that serve as signals that a new move is starting or that a move has finished.

Here are some of the moves that have been proposed, followed by their key word:

  1. Support - "because", "like"
  2. Restatement and/or conlcusion of point supported - "so"
  3. Interruption - "by the way"
  4. Return to interrupted context - "anyway"
  5. Indirect challenge - "Yes, but"
  6. Direct challenge - "but"
  7. Subargument concession - "all right"
  8. Prior logical abstraction - "but look"
  9. Further development - "now"

  • The following is an adaptation of a well-known story. Analyse it so as to find as many of the moves listed above as you think apply.

    CR: Hello, Eeyore. How are you?
    E: It's still snowing.
    CR: Yes, it is.
    E: And freezing.
    CR: Is it?
    E: Yes. By the way, we haven't had an earthquake lately.
    CR: All right. What's the matter, Eeyore?
    E: Nothing, Christopher Robin. Nothing important. By the way, I suppose you haven't seen a house or what-not any where about?
    CR: What sort of a house?
    E: Just a house.
    CR: Who lives there?
    E: I do. At least I thought I did. But I suppose I don't. After all, we can't all have houses.
    CR: But, Eeyore, I didn't know - I always thought -
    E: I don't know how it is, Christopher Robin, but what with all this snow and one thing and another, not to mention icicles amd such like, it isn't so Hot in my field about three o'clock in the...
    CR: Anyway.
    E: And I said to myself: The others will be sorry if I'm getting myself all cold. But look, they haven't got Brains, any of them. Now they've got grey fluff that's blown into their heads by mistake...
    CR: Yes, but I...
    E: All right, I don't mean you. You're different. So what it all comes to is that I built myself a house down by my little wood.

    And of course, this conversation could go on fro very much longer - or you could finish it off for your answer to section 2.

  • Write a very short story (or write-up a real conversation) that includes at least five of the above moves. Be prepared to read your short story and give its analysis in the tutorial (or get a friend to read it!).

    © P.J.Hancox@bham.ac.uk