ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ

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TIỂU LUẬN CUỐI KÌ

MÔN: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Họ và tên: Đỗ Phương Anh

Mã sinh viên: 18010306

Ngành học: Ngôn ngữ Anh

Lớp học: BK-ENG2060-01

Hệ học: Bằng kép

Hà Nội - 2023

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 Section 1: Provide ONE short linguistic text of no more than 300 words with its
source information and rewrite the text to improve its cohesion and coherence. You should
use as many types of cohesive devices as possible (use both lexical and grammatical
cohesive devices). Then indicate and name the cohesive devices that you have added to
revise the text.
Text:
Scientists and news media are presenting ever more evidence of climate change.
Governments cannot expected to solve this problem. It is the responsibility of individuals to
change their lifestyles prevent further damage. What are your views?
Recently scientists worried climate change have urged governments to introduce
measures to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are seen as its main cause.
Simultaneously, politicians and environmentalists urged individuals to make changes to
their lifestyles. I shall argue that governments and individuals should join responsibility for
this problem.
Firstly, industry for a large proportion of greenhouse gas emissions, and this can only
be controlled by government action. Measures could taken to discourage pollution, such as
limiting or taxing the use of fossil fuels. Alternatively, subsidies could offered to industries
to clean up their production processes. If these were adopted, I believe that businesses would
regard pollution as a financial issue.
Secondly, the discussion between governments can ensure that solutions are
successful. The Kyoto agreement, example, tried to reach a global agreement on how to
address the problem. Without such operating, it seems to me that efforts to reduce fuel
consumption are unlikely to be effective.
However, national international policies will only succeed if individuals also change
their lifestyles. For example, could think more carefully about how they use energy in their
homes. By using less electricity, installing efficient light bulbs and electrical appliances, or
investing in solar panels, individuals can make a real difference. In addition, I think
individual attitudes to transport need change. Instead of making trips by car, people could
choose to walk, cycle, or take a bus. Since cars a major source of the problem, changing our
behavior in this area would have a major impact. In conclusion, I would maintain only a
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combination of an international agreement, national policies, and changes in individual
behavior will succeed in preventing further damage to the environment.
(314 words)
Source: https://aten.edu.vn/cac-bai-writing-ielts-task-2-mau-band-5-giup-ban-cai-
thien/
Rewrite:

The issue of climate change has been increasingly brought to the first position by
scientists. However, relying only on government action is not sufficient to solve this
problem. Individuals must also take responsibility for their actions and make changes to
their lifestyles to prevent further damage to the environment. What are your views?
On one hand, scientists have been urging governments to take action to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, which are the primary cause of climate change. Meanwhile,
politicians and environmentalists have been encouraging individuals to make changes to
their behavior. I contend that both governments and individuals must share the responsibility
of addressing this issue.
Firstly, industries are responsible for a significant portion of greenhouse gas
emissions, and government intervention is necessary to control them. Governments could
implement measures such as limiting or taxing the use of fossil fuels to discourage pollution.
Alternatively, they could offer subsidies to industries to incentivize them to adopt cleaner
production processes. Such measures would encourage businesses to view pollution as a
financial issue.
Secondly, international cooperation is important in addressing climate change. For
instance, the Kyoto agreement aimed to reach a global agreement on how to solve the
problem. Without such cooperation, efforts to reduce fuel consumption would likely be
ineffective.
However, national and international policies alone cannot solve the problem. It is
necessary for individuals to change their behavior as well. For instance, people could be
more mindful of their energy usage at home by using efficient appliances or investing in
solar panels. Furthermore, individual attitudes towards transportation must change. Rather

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than using cars, people could decide on walking, cycling, or using public transport. Since
cars are a significant source of pollution, changing our behavior in this area would have a
significant impact.
In conclusion, I believe that preventing further damage to the environment requires a
combination of international agreements, national policies, and individual behavior changes.
Cohesive devices added:

Cohesive Examples
devices

Anaphoric  "this problem" refers to the issue of climate change mentioned in

reference the first sentence.
 "their" is an anaphoric reference to "individuals" mentioned
earlier in the same sentence.
 "them" is an anaphoric reference to "greenhouse gas emissions"
mentioned in the previous sentence.
 "they" refers to the governments mentioned earlier in the same
paragraph.
 "such measures" refers to the measures mentioned in the
previous sentence.
 "Without such cooperation" refers to international cooperation
mentioned in the previous sentence.

Cataphoric  “Cars” refers to “cars are a significant source of pollution” in the

reference next sentence.

Exophoric No
reference

Homophone No
reference

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Comparative  "rather than" is used to compare the negative impact of using cars
reference with the positive impact of walking, cycling, or using public
transport on the environment. This comparison is used to suggest
that changing individual behavior towards transportation could
have a significant impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and preventing further damage to the environment.

Bridging  "However, relying solely on government action is not sufficient

reference to solve this problem. Individuals must also take responsibility
for their actions and make changes to their lifestyles to prevent
further damage to the environment.". In this example, the word
"this problem" in the second sentence bridges the idea of
government action being insufficient with the idea of individuals
needing to take responsibility for preventing further damage to
the environment.
 "Furthermore, individual attitudes towards transportation must
change. Rather than using cars, people could opt for walking,
cycling, or using public transport. Since cars are a significant
source of pollution, altering our behavior in this area would have
a significant impact.". In this example, the idea of individual
attitudes towards transportation changing bridges the previous
idea of individuals needing to alter their behavior to prevent
further damage to the environment.

Repetition  "climate change", "governments", "individuals",

"pollution”, "greenhouse gas emissions", "international”,
"behavior", “action", “problem", “change"

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Synonym  "reduce" and "discourage" (to refer to pollution), "incentivize"
and "encourage" (to refer to adopting cleaner production
processes).

Antonyme  "using" is antonymous with "walking," "cycling," and "using

public transport," which are all alternatives to using cars.
 "preventing" is antonymous with "damage," which is the
negative outcome that is being prevented.

Hyponym  "efficient appliances" and "solar panels" are hyponyms of the

more general category of "energy usage at home."
 "Furthermore, individual attitudes towards transportation must
change. Rather than using cars, people could opt for walking,
cycling, or using public transport.". In this example, "walking,"
"cycling," and "using public transport" are hyponyms of the more
general category of "transportation."

Meronymy  "Industries are responsible for a significant portion of

greenhouse gas emissions...". In this example, "greenhouse gas
emissions" can be seen as a part of the larger category of
"pollution," which is the whole that contains this part.
 "Rather than using cars, people could opt for walking, cycling,
or using public transport.". In this example, "cars" can be seen as
a part of the larger category of "transportation," which is the
whole that contains this part.

Collocation  "climate change" - This is a common collocation in the text and

in general discourse, as "climate" and "change" frequently occur
together in discussions about global warming and its effects.

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  "greenhouse gas emissions" - This is another common
collocation, as "greenhouse gases" are the primary cause of
climate change and are often discussed in terms of their
emissions.
 "individual behavior" - This collocation refers to the actions and
habits of individual people, which can have a significant impact
on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preventing further
damage to the environment.

Conjunction  "On one hand," "Firstly," "Secondly," "However,"

"Furthermore," "In conclusion," "such as," "For instance,"
"Rather than"

Substitution  "it," "they," "such measures," "such cooperation," "this area,"

"this issue"

Ellipsis  "On one hand, scientists have been urging governments to take
action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are the primary
cause of climate change. Meanwhile, politicians and
environmentalists have been encouraging individuals to make
changes to their behavior.". The ellipsis here is the omission of
the word "change" after "make," which can be understood from
the context.
 "Without such cooperation, efforts to reduce fuel consumption
would likely be ineffective.". The ellipsis here is the omission of
the words "efforts to" before "reduce," which can be understood
from the context.
 "Rather than using cars, people could opt for walking, cycling,
or using public transport.". The ellipsis here is the omission of

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 the words "using cars" after "rather than," which can be
understood from the context.

Section 2: Choose ONE linguistic text (for examples: a story, a letter, a speech, a
song…) and analyse it in terms of its genre (the social and cultural context, the discourse
structure, and the lexico-grammar features). You should provide the text’s source
information.
Letter:
Tell me about one of your close friends.
Hi Linh,
Thanks for your letter. I’m very nice to make friend with you. This is the first letter I
write to you and I hope we will get in touch together frequently. In the last letter you asked
me about my closest friend and you wanted to get familiar with him so I want to share you
something about him,too
That’s Hieu, one of my friends at university. We studied in the same major but
different classes. He is a kind and intelligent guy. Moreover, he always studied hard so his
studying result was very good. In addition, he is an active person and usually joins a lot of
social actions, for example, teaching for poor children, helping alone old people who have
difficulties, etc.
I think he is the most wonderful friend I have ever had. And with me, he is always
very understanding, mature, fun, smart, and kind. He sticks by me even during the hardest
times, something only a true friend does. Now he is working at the same office as me. We
is more and more close and I hope our friendship will be never stop. Do you want to meet
and talk to him. I’m sure you will like him as me.

Best regards,

Mai
Source:
https://download.vn/viet-thu-bang-tieng-anh-theo-chu-de 34419#mcetoc_1el7p39o01u
Analyse:
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 1. The social and cultural context:

The setting of the text: The text is contained in a letter that Mai sent to Linh, maybe
via email or regular mail. It seems that Mai and Linh have lately gotten to know one another
and have become friends. In the previous letter, Linh inquired about Mai's closest friend and
expressed interest in getting to know him. In this letter, Mai responds to that letter. Hieu is
introduced by Mai, who also provides some background information about him, including
his admirable qualities and involvement in charitable endeavors. Hieu is Mai's best friend,
she says, and she talks about how close they are. The text's atmosphere is probably amicable
and relaxed, representing a chat between two new friends.
The focus and perspective of the text: The focus of the text is on introducing Mai's
closest friend, Hieu, to the recipient of the letter and sharing some details about his character
and personality. The perspective of the text is from Mai's point of view, as she shares her
personal experiences and feelings about Hieu and their friendship.
The purpose of the text: The purpose of the text is to respond to a letter from Linh
and share information about Mai's closest friend, Hieu. Mai describes Hieu as a kind,
intelligent, and hardworking person who is actively involved in social actions. Mai also
expresses her admiration for Hieu's loyalty and support during difficult times. Finally, Mai
invites Linh to meet and talk to Hieu, suggesting that Linh would enjoy his company as
much as Mai does.
The intended audience for the text, their role and purpose in reading text: The
intended audience for this text is likely a friend named Linh who the writer has corresponded
with before. Linh has likely asked the writer about their closest friend and expressed interest
in getting to know them. The purpose of the letter is to introduce Linh to the writer's closest
friend, Hieu, and to share some information about him. The writer may be hoping to
strengthen their relationship with Linh by sharing more about their life and interests.
Additionally, the writer may be trying to connect Linh with their friend in the hopes that
they will also form a positive relationship.
The relationship between writers and readers of the text: It is likely written between
two friends who are getting to know each other better. The social and cultural context

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suggests that the two friends may be from different countries or cultures, as the letter begins
with one friend expressing their pleasure at making a new friend and hoping to stay in touch

2. The discourse structure of genres:

 Generic structure:
- Salutation: The writer greets the recipient of the letter, in this case, "Hi Linh."
- Opening: The writer expresses gratitude for receiving a letter from the recipient,
and indicates a desire to continue their correspondence.
- Body: The writer responds to a specific question or request made in the recipient's
previous letter, in this case, providing information about the writer's closest friend. The
writer describes the friend's personality, interests, and positive qualities, as well as their own
personal relationship with the friend.
- Closing: The writer expresses their affection for the recipient and their hopes for
continuing the friendship. The writer may also extend an invitation or offer to meet in
person.
- Farewell: The writer ends the letter with a closing phrase, such as "Best regards,"
and signs their name.
 Rhetorical structure: The text consists of two main parts.
- The first part is a response to a letter from Linh, expressing gratitude for the letter
and the desire to become friends. The second part focuses on introducing Mai's closest
friend, Hieu, to Linh.
- The second part of the text can be further divided into three sections. The first
section provides some basic information about Hieu, such as the fact that he is a friend from
university who shares the same major as Mai. The second section provides a description of
Hieu's character and personality, highlighting his kindness, intelligence, hard work, and
involvement in social activities. The final section emphasizes the importance of Hieu to Mai,
portraying him as a true friend who is always there for Mai during difficult times. The text
ends with an invitation for Linh to meet Hieu, suggesting that they will get along well.
3. Lexico-grammar features of the gernes:

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  Personal pronouns: The author uses personal pronouns such as "I", "me", and
"my" throughout the text to refer to themselves and their friend Hieu.
 Adjectives: The text contains several descriptive adjectives that are used to
describe Hieu and the author's relationship with him. For example, "kind", "intelligent",
"active", "understanding", "mature", "fun", "smart", and "wonderful".
 Present tense verbs: The author uses present tense verbs to describe Hieu's
current job and their friendship, e.g. "he is working" and "we are more and more close".
 Adverbs: The author uses adverbs such as "usually" and "always" to describe
Hieu's behavior and actions.
 Coordinating conjunctions: The author uses coordinating conjunctions such as
"and" and "but" to connect ideas and clauses in the text.
 Modal verbs: The author uses modal verbs such as "will" and "should" to
express future possibilities and suggestions.

Section 3: Choose ONE picture and analyse it using the learned discourse analysis
theories. You should include the picture and its source information in your work.
Picture:

Source: https://vov.vn/giai-tri/nghe-si/cindy-crawford-dep-cuon-hut-tren-trang-bia-tap-
chi-vogue-brazil-857997.vov
Analyse:

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 1. Representational meaning:

Conceptual structure: This is an animated photo, so viewers can not read any action
from the picture. The face that appeared in the Vogue Brazil magazine is former model
Cindy Crawford who represents the famous model class. She is an American model, actress
and television personality. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was among the most popular
supermodels and a ubiquitous presence on magazine covers and runways, as well as fashion
campaigns.

2. Interpersonal meaning:

Cindy appears in the magazin with an attractive face and wild messy hair. Her face
and hair occupy the most of the page (2/3 page) because of close-up shot, which creates the
closeness, involvement (close social distance) between the figure and readers.
It can be seen that the hair has partially covered the left side of the face, but that
highlights the mystery of Cindy's aura. The most prominent features of her face are her eyes
and eyebrows, which reveal Cindy's strong personality. The subject directly looking at the
viewer is a “demand” gaze which creates an imaginary contact established between the
represented participant and readers (visual focalization).
The camera at eye level, then the point of view is one of equality and there is no
power difference involved. (Horizontal shot: the reader and the women depicted on the same
level).

3. Compositional meaning:

The picture has black and white color, but the light and dark composition is
deliberately placed to highlight the contours of the model's face. The image is meant to be
true and real, and one that connects with its readers. The image of Cindy is fore-grounded
and carries the major information load in the text. Meanwhile, the name and other words
have pale yellow and white, which are arranged next to the model, to avoid cluttering up the
composition as well as to cover Cindy's face. It can be seen that the prominent titles included

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in the content of the magazine are not included on the cover, which makes salience.
Highlighting the image of Cindy keeps the reader captivated by this image.

Section 4:
How have you applied the learned discourse analysis linguistic phenomena into your
real-life situations? Provide, describe, and analyse the applied example(s) for illustration.
One of the discourse analysis linguistic phenomena that was applied into my real life
situation is presupposition.
Presupposition refers to an underlying assumption or belief that a speaker or writer
makes, and which they expect their audience to already accept as true. It is often conveyed
implicitly rather than explicitly in the language used.
Example:
My younger brother just took his first mock exam at school (although he hasn't
received his official score yet, the teacher has graded his paper and he can estimate his
score). I want to know if he passed the minimum requirement (5 points). So, I used a
hypothetical approach to find out the truth about my brother's score. My brother and I had a
brief conversation afterward:

Me: Thi thử vừa rồi em được mấy điểm tiếng Anh?
My Brother: Làm sao em biết được, trường đã gửi điểm chính thức đâu.
Me: Sao không? Cô gửi em đáp án rồi còn gì?
My Brother: Em cũng không tính được điểm đâu.
Me: Học chăm chỉ thế chắc chắn là trên 5 rồi cần gì đoán.
My Brother: Làm gì mà cao thế!

Analyse:
In the conversation, I used presupposition to determine the fact about my brother’s
score in the sentence :” Học chăm chỉ thế chắc chắn là trên 5 rồi cần gì đoán.”. I assume that
my brother studied hard so he could pass the minimum requirement (5 points). Then, my

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brother reacted to my speak by his surprise :”Làm gì mà cao thế!”. When he said that, I can
understand that he knew about his score and he couldn’t pass the paralysis point.
Purpose:
By understanding and applying presuppositions in my life, I can grasp the truth of
things more easily through using them. For example, in the above situation, I asked a
question to put the opponent in an unexpected situation, made the other person ignorant and
inadvertently said the sentence: "Làm gì mà cao thế!". From the statement, I deduced what
the truth was.

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