Introduction

In this chapter I examine the distribution of pronouns and full noun phrases in some expository written English texts. The structural analysis technique used will be rhetorical structure analysis.

The anaphoric patterns established in this chapter are presented in the two modes discussed in Chapter 3. These two modes, it will be recalled, are the context-determines-use mode and the use-determines-context mode (see also Chapter 3 for a discussion of these modes). I argued in Chapter 3 that both of these modes are always present for conversationally interacting parties, although in any particular instance one may be more strongly felt than the other. The argument for this view runs as follows:

1. Anaphoric form X is the unmarked form for a context like the one the participant is in now.

2. By using anaphoric form X, then, the participant displays an understanding that the context is of that sort.

3. If the participant displays an understanding that the context is of that sort, then the other parties may change their understandings about the nature of the context to be in accord with the understanding displayed (cf. McHoul 1982).

I would like to propose now that this same cycle of factors lies behind anaphora in writing as well. Even though the parties (writer and reader) are not co-present at either the time of writing or the time of reading and hence cannot directly participate in such a fluid display of understandings, each feels the other's presence in a way that strongly influences their behavior towards the text.