This document discusses the difference between form and function in discourse analysis. Form refers to syntactic structure like words and sentences, while function refers to the purpose words and structures serve. While form and structure can predict function, context is also important, as the same form can take on different functions. Two approaches to discourse analysis are described: structural, which looks at linguistic units and their relationships, and functional, which analyzes language use and Jakobson's six functions of language.

1. Form and Function
( Discourse Analysis )
Level-7

2. Introduction
• According to McCarrthy (1991), discourse analysis describes
the language above the sentence: its context and the
cultural influence, which affect language in use.
• A discourse carries much more than its form, it also carries
its own particular function, which means that there is not
necessarily one-to-one relationship between a given
suprasegmental choice and a meaning, hence form and
function might be analyzed separately in order to depict the
real meaning of a discourse.

3. Difference between form and function
Form is concerned with syntactic structure up to the
sentence level, i.e. the arrangement of morphemes and
words into the larger units of group, clauses, and finally,
sentences. Form is also concerned with the syntagmatic
relationship between words within clauses and sentences.
Function is concerned with the purpose which those
grammatical forms are designed to serve in human affairs.

4.  Form refers to the way traditional grammar deals with forms and
classes of words; for instance, a verb, an adverb, a subject, an
interrogative sentence, etc. On the other hand, in discourse
analysis, the function of forms and classes of words are not
exclusively related to their forms or classes, but the way the
sentence is produced or play a significant role.
 For example, in "She went home." the structure is in the form of a
declarative clause, however, this form can be used in order to apply
another function, other than the affirmative (declarative) function,
for example: “She went home?”. Therefore, the same sequence has
got another value, the one of a question, even though it maintains
the same structure (form) of a declarative (affirmative) clause.

5. • Within discourse analysis it is often the case that the functions of linguistic items
in both spoken and written text are not predictable simply from a consideration
of their forms.
• Chaudron (1988: 39) states that although many verbal behaviors can be quickly
and confidently identified, there are “frequently finer nuances of meaning and
tacit rules of discourse implicit in even the simplest expression…” This can result
in the conversion of linguistic items from one function to another relative to the
overall proceedings of the discourse.
• Nunan (1991: 42) adds that in terms of the discourse we are engaged in,
“predictability will depend on whether the discourse or text type contain
predictable patterns, and also the extent to which we are familiar with these
patterns…”
• Therefore, the contextual environment in which items appear in either a
descriptive, expressive or social role has to be considered in order for their
function to be accurately evaluated.

6. Approaches to Discourse analysis
• Structural approach: Discourse is a particular unit of
language.
• Functional approach: Discourse is a particular focus of
language use.

7. Structural approach to discourse
• Structural approach finds the constituents that have
particular relationships with each other and that can occur in
a restricted number of arrangements but the problems with
this approach is, the units in which people speak do not
always look like sentences, or grammatically correct
sentences.
Example;
(From “The Colour Purple”, Alice Walker)
Jack is tall and kind and don't hardly say anything. Love children.
Respect his wife, Odessa, and all Odessa Amazon sisters.

8. Example;
Colourless green ideas sleep furiously (Chomsky)
• Solving the problem: adopt Lyons’s distinction between
system-sentences and text-sentences.
• System sentences are well-formed abstract theoretical
sentences generated according to the existing grammar rules.
• Text-sentences are context-dependent utterances or parts of
utterances which occur in everyday life.
• The discourse analysis will be concerned with text-
sentences.

9. Functional approach to discourse
• Utterances may have multiple functions.
• The major concern of this approach to discourse
analysis can turn out into a more general and broader
analysis of language functions.

10. Jakobson's functions of language
Roman Jakobson (1960) defined six functions of
language (or communication functions), according to which an
effective act of verbal communication can be described.
Each of the language functions has an associated factor.
Component/factor Function
1. Addressor (emotive)
2. Addressee (conative)
3. Context (referential)
4. Contact (phatic)
5. Message (poetic)
6. Code (metalinguistic)

11. 1. Emotive (Expressive or Affective) function: relates to the Addresser
(sender) and is best exemplified by interjections and other sound
changes that do not alter the denotative meaning of an utterance but
do add information about the Addresser's (speaker's) internal state,
e.g. "Wow, what a view!“
2. Conative function: engages the Addressee (receiver) directly and is
best illustrated by vocatives and imperatives.
(Oriented to the hearer and impact on the hearer.)
e.g. "Tom! Come inside and eat!“
3. Referential function: corresponds to the factor of Context and
describes a situation, object or mental state. The descriptive statements
of the referential function can consist of both definite descriptions
and deictic words.
e.g. "The autumn leaves have all fallen now.“

12. 4. Phatic function: is used for the sake of interaction and is
therefore associated with the Contact/Channel factor. The Phatic
Function can be observed in greetings and casual discussions of
the weather, particularly with strangers. It also provides the keys
to open, maintain, verify or close the communication channel:
e.g. "Hello?", "Ok?", "Hmmm", "Bye"...
5. Poetic Function: focuses on "the message for its own sake" (the
code itself, and how it is used) and is the operative function in
poetry as well as slogans.
6. Metalinguistic function : is the use of language (what Jakobson
calls "Code") to discuss or describe itself.