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Research on the Discourse Function of Connectives: Types and Representations

Author(s)

Junlei Tian

Affiliation(s)

School of Foreign Studies, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China

Abstract

Relevant to linguistic units, connectives are connecting tools, words or word groups, that allow for connecting words, clauses, or sentences and structuring a text. Connectives research has been clearly evolving. From the very beginning, connectives are described with a traditional approach as connecting elements between and within statements, without a really specific function, except simple grammatical connection. As an invariable language entity or fixed statement, connectives can not only associate the current statement with the previous statement, but also associate it with the overall context of the construction, which can contribute to the overall consistency of the text. In French, the connector “mais” generally marks a relationship of opposition and concession. The distinction between two types of “mais” made by Ducrot and generally accepted by pragmatists therefore serves as the basis for this analysis and must be presented.

Keywords

Connectives; Discursive Function; Representation; Scope of Connectives

References

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