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organization of the three stages is stated in terms of move sequences.
Bracketed elements are optional components in the structure and indi-
cate that such a move need not occur but will appear in that position if it
does.

I. The Thesis Stage

This stage introduces the discourse topic and advances the writer’s
proposition or central statement. Frequently coterminous with the para-
graph in the exam data, its potential structure is identified as consisting
of five moves, only one of which is obligatory.

1. The gambit is distinguished primarily by its arresting effect. The

function of the move is to capture the reader’s attention, rather than in-
form. The move is frequently found in editorials and requires a certain
skill and authority to impress rather than aggravate the uncommitted
reader.
The South African Government stands constantly trapped between
the anvil of right-wing resistance and the hammer of international
opprobrium.
(Times Editorial 9/12/88)
The chorus ... blaming American &dquo;intransigence&dquo; for the near-
collapse of the Uruguay round of trade talks in Montreal last week is
hypocritical and self-serving.
(Times Editorial 13/12/88)
Many foreign employers complain about the sub-standard graduates
produced in PNG.
2. Informing moves, on the other hand, are almost universal fea-
tures of this type of writing. Realizations are largely drawn from a
restricted class of illocutions which include definitions, classifications,
descriptions, critiques or &dquo;straw man&dquo; arguments. It is possible that
there is a restricted variety of ways which this move may be realised and
that future analyses may suggest a rank level of discourse acts.
Education is an investment in people and is vital to the progress and
development of society.
Potential students of PNG have over 3,300 education institutions
available to them ranging from primary schools through High
Schools to vocational colleges and universities.
Since independence PNG has spent a lot of money financing the ter-
tiary system and has not obtained good value for its money.

3. The proposition is the central move in the thesis stage and its only
indispensable component. This functions to furnish a specific statement

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of position which defines the topic and gives a focus to the entire com-
position.
It is clear that more money is needed in the secondary sector and that
more money should be spent there.
The Universities should be given more financial assistance by the
government to improve the quality of graduates in this country.
I strongly propose the idea that our rural community schools be
given first priorty in terms of government funding.
The proposition is not always expressed so succinctly however and
may emerge from an informing move
There is one sector that stands out in developing the country. That is
the base of our education system the community schools. This is
-

where we should pay the closest attention.

or contextualizing information can be embedded in the proposition itself
The justification for the decision not to extradite Father Patrick
Ryan offered by the Irish Attorney-General yesterday is a shabby
evasion.
(Times Editorial 14/12/88)

Experienced feature writers often make their proposing move text

initial by composing the central statement in the form of a gambit:
In Thatcher’s Britain ... powerful citadels of the worst type of trade
unionism still flourish doing mighty damage to our internal and over-
seas trade.

(Woodrow Wyatt, Times 14/12/88)

4. An evaluation may follow the proposition, this provides a posi-
tive comment on it.
This sector is the most important because it provides basic know-
ledge and skills.
This is primarily because it is the base of our education system.

5. The marker structures the discourse by signposting its subsequent

direction. It occurs more frequently in the examination scripts and is
often confined to a restricted class of formulae.
There are a number of reasons for increasing assistance to community
education.
A solution has at least three interlocking parts.
(Guardian Weekly 13/11/88)

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II. The Argument Stage
This stage presents the infrastructure of reasons which characterise
the genre. The argument stage consists of a possible four move cycle
repeated indefinitely in a specific order.
1. The marker frames the sequence and connects it to both the steps
in the argument and to the proposition. The shift to a new sequence may
be implicit in a topic change, being embedded in the claim, but writers
often wish to explicitly guide the reader through the argument stage.
There are two main devices for accomplishing this:
a) Listing signals such as &dquo;first(ly)&dquo;, &dquo;second(ly)&dquo;, &dquo;next&dquo;, etc. A
closed class of formulaic elements, loved by students, which
provide an inventory of items but require interpretive work by
the reader to discover the relationships between them.
b) Transition signals to indicate the step to another sequence,
marking addition, contrast, condition, specificity, etc. by
adverbial connectives, conjunctions and comments indicating
changes in the discussion.
Turning to the economic benefits of vocational education ....

Another way to improve the standard is to ...

However, a start must be made somewhere and ...

2. A restatement of the proposition in some form is common here,

particularly in the exam data where foregrounding the proposition pro-
vides a reminder of the subject
The second reason why more money should be directed at the tertiary
’

sector is ...

Another way to improve the quality of primary education is ....

3. The central move in the argument sequence is the claim. This is a

reason endorsing the validity of the proposition. Typically three tactics
of persuasion- are used:
(i) A statement appealing to the potency of &dquo;shared&dquo; presupposi-
tions or expectations about topic background. This is an invi-
tation to agree with the writer’s assumptions and thereby ac-
cept the reasonableness of the position. Here, for example, we
are obviously expected to understand events in the same way
as the writer accepting the argument as relevant and the inter- &dquo;

pretation as favourable to his support for community edu-

cation.
With the basic skills we learn from community schools it would be
easier for us to understand the trade and economy of our country.

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 The following claim also relies on an appeal to uncontentious back-
ground assumptions, although it may require more work to demonstrate
relevance _

Providing for this sector also helps people learn how to vote in elec-
tions rather than someone directing them.
(ii) Alternatively, the writer may approach his audience by presen-
ting a generalization based on factual evidence or expert opi-
nion.
We spend least for each student in community schools for the highest
social returns (Table 1)
British Rail’s claim that it takes two years to build new trains to meet
these demands has been dismissed by Richard Hope, Editor of
Railway Gazette, as ’pure hogwash’.
(Nigel Hawkes, The Observer 18/12/88)
Sir John Guise states that this sector prepares students to participate
in the economy of the country more directly.

(iii) The third tactic isa declaration of opinion aiming for max-
imum effect with minimum regard for opposing views.
It cannot be denied that higher forms of education decrease our
dependence on foreign domination in the economy.
An example of how wrong and mad things are can be found in the
discussion about Scotland.
(Niel Ascherson, The Observer 18/12/88)
The country’s economy is disintegrating.
(Times Editorial, 19/12/88)

4. The support move is an indispensable second part to the claim in

a tied pair of moves. It furnishes explicit reinforcement for the claim and
can comprise several paragraphs appealing to several sources of
evidence. The support move is therefore both directly relevant to the
claim and seeks to demonstrate the relevance of the claim to the proposi-
tion. The successful accomplishment of the claim-support pair depends
on explicitly establishing these relevances.

The connection almost always involves some tacit understandings

or warrants(Peters, 1985:8) and these differ enormously in the generality
of their acceptance. Obviously the writer’s knowledge of the audience is
important here as the length and complexity of the support move often
reflects the extent he/she believes the warrant diverges from shared
understandings. Where a common knowledge base is assumed with the
reader, as in this example, the writer can expect less resistance to a parti-
cular claim and leave a great deal unsaid.

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 ...all children should be allowed a basic education.

Economy is not possible however with more specific warrants or where

’

the warrant appeals to readers’ specialised knowledge.

At the moment, rail suffers from its heritage.

III. The Conclusion Stage

Rather than a summary or review, the conclusion is a fusion of con-
stituents in this genre. It functions to consolidate the discourse and retro-
spectively affirm what has been communicated. There is a possible four
move sequence to this stage.
1. Again many of the essay samples included a marker from a res-
tricted class, normally &dquo;thus&dquo;, &dquo;therefore&dquo;, &dquo;to conclude&dquo;, &dquo;the lesson
to be drawn is&dquo;, and so on.
2. The consolidation move refers back to the content of the argument
section to relate the themes of the argument stage with the proposition. It
is the central part of the conclusion.
Thus the quality of the graduates is improved and the various sectors
of the community are satisfied.
....many changes need to be made to improve the quality and quantity
of students today.

3. The affirmation is an optional restatement of the proposition;

rare in journalism, its omission is unusual in the exam data.
To sum up, I strongly advise that more money should be spent on the
primary sector.
The community level is thus a crucial stage in development and there-
fore deserves more.

4. In contrast to the retrospective function of the consolidating

move, the close provides a prospective focus. It looks forward to unstated
aspects of the discussion by widening the context.
In turn, this will increase the standard ofliving in the villages.
Unless active measures are taken, the next generation will have little
to thank us for when they start to contemplate the transport system
they have been left.
(Times Editorial 10/12/88)
The future of the country will be jeopardised if nothing is done to
improve this sector.

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