Discourse Metalanguage P.2

Question 1

Collocation

Answer 1

Words within phrases that usually go together.

safe and sound
strong and steady
heavy rain (not ‘strong rain’)

Question 2

Front focus

Answer 2

When we want to focus on something important, we bring it to the front of the clause or sentence.

“I bought a new camera, and a very expensive camera it was.”
Most common word order: It was a very expensive camera.

Question 3

End focus

Answer 3

The heightened attention we give to information placed at the end of a clause or sentence.

“My uncle finally bought a new car. His rusty old minivan is not nearly as cool as his new car.”

Question 4

Anaphoric reference

Answer 4

A word in a text that refers back to other ideas in the text for its meaning.

Michael went to the bank. He was annoyed because it (‘it’ in place for ‘bank’) was closed.

Question 5

Cataphoric reference

Answer 5

A word in a text that refers to another later in the text which you need to look forward to understand.

“Although I phone her every week, my mother still complains that I don’t keep in touch often enough.”
“her” refers to the mother