Discourse and Genre - Review quiz

Martin (1984) defined genre as a __________, goal-oriented, purposeful activity in which speakers engage as members of our culture.

When elaborating on the definition of genre by Martin (1984), Martin and Rose (2007) explained that genre is a staged activity because

• we participate in genre with other people 

• we use genres to get things done 

• it takes a few steps to reach our goals 

• we always have to strictly follow the predetermined steps

In Miller’s definition, what constitutes a genre?

• the substance of discourse

• the form of discourse

• the interactants in the discourse

• the action the discourse is used to accomplish

Which of the following statements can be made about steps in genre analysis?

• Approaches in genre analysis can be applied to written works only. 

• Approaches in genre analysis can be applied flexibly. 

• When analyzing a genre, we should always start by looking at a text typical of that genre. 

• When analyzing a genre, we should leave the context until later during the process.

In the first step of genre analysis—collecting samples—we may start by randomly choosing a few texts for

• exploratory investigation

• detailed analysis

• descriptive analysis

• analysis of specified features

In collecting samples, we should single out one text that has the ______________________ of the dataset so as to closely investigate the structure, style, and unique features representing the whole dataset.

What can be said about the second step in genre analysis—reviewing existing knowledge about the genre?

• It helps analysts learn about the conventions that are usually associated with the genre.

• It requires analysts to construct a text of the genre under investigation.

• It primarily serves to highlight inconsistencies between relevant works about the genre.

• It cannot be done if the genre has just been around for some decades.

When we refine our analysis of a genre, one of the aspects we would need to define is the _____________ for the text and what role they perform as they read the text.

When we refine our analysis of a genre, we pay attention to the viewpoint from which the story is told as well as the narrator. In other words, we care about the _____________ and the _____________ of the text. Note: Separate your answers using a comma as in A, B.

Two ways to analyze how a genre is structured include _____________ structure and rhetorical structure.