Sino-US English Teaching, ISSN 1539-8072
June 2012, Vol. 9, No. 6, 1204-1207
Theory of Textual Patterns and Discourse Coherence
in Students’ English Writing
QI Xiu-kun
Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
ZHAO Yong  Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
The present study applies “Textual Patterns” like “general-specific” and “claim-counterclaim” to explore discourse
coherence in Chinese students’ English writing. The study confirms the function of the textual patterns as
macro-structures for discourse interpretation and production, and proves textual patterns as effective tools in
identifying and solving problems with discourse coherence in Chinese EFL (English as a Foreign Language)
learners’ writing.
Keywords: discourse coherence, textual patterns, macro-structures, word organizers
Introduction
Discourse coherence has been an interesting topic researched by many linguists all over the world. Hoey
and McCarthy explore discourse coherence at the level of macro-structure and raise the Theory of Textual Patterns. McCarthy (2005) believed that “Textual patterns are manifested in regularly occurring functional relationships between bits of the text”, which “may be a clause, sometimes a sentence, sometimes a whole paragraph” (p. 28). Hoey (2001) held that interconnections between packages of information “have to be interpreted as descriptions of culturally popular patterns of organization” (p. 19
3). They both maintained that there may exist many textual patterns between textual segments like “problem-solution”, “general-specific”, “claim-counterclaim”, and “question-answer”.
From an overview of the study on textual patterns for discourse interpretaion, Hoey and McCarthy deal with them at the level of paragraph. However, the present researchers discuss textual patterns from discourse production. The research is aimed to prove the function of textual patterns in organizing coherent essays by Chinese EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners.
Illustration of Textual Patterns
For illustration, two textual patterns, general-specific and claim-counterclaim, are exemplified here. According to the two researchers, each pattern is composed of several structural elements and organizers. A structural element is composed of one sentence or more, which serves as a macro-structure for a discourse. Organizers are a word system in between the closed and open systems; they can be any kind of parts of speech,
QI Xiu-kun, associate professor at Foreign Laguages School, Harbin Institute of Technology.
ZHAO Yong, lecturer at Foreign Languages School, Northeast Forestry University.
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THEORY OF TEXTUAL PATTERNS AND DISCOURSE COHERENCE 1205
which Winter (1978) called Vocabulary 3. The job of organizers is to “structure the argument, … to give the reader indications of the larger text patterns the author has chosen, and to build up expectations concerning the shape of the whole discourse” (McCarthy, 2005, p. 75).
Textual patterns differ from one another in the number of structural elements and organizers, but they may share some organizers. Moreover, in a larger discourse, two or more textual patterns can be found either one following another or one embedded in another. The analysis of textual patterns and organizers are only confined to the length of a natural paragraph for convenience. The organizers are picked out on the basis of Vocabulary 3 (Winter, 1978). In the following examples, the bracked word denotes the structural element, and the underlined word the organizer.
General-Specific Pattern
General-specific pattern consists of: general statement → specific 1 → specific 2… → general (McCarthy, 2005, p. 158). For example:
Ever since the concept of autonomy has found a place in mainstream education over the last twenty years, it has greatly captured the interests of educationalists and researchers (general). Some researchers focus on the abstract concept
of LA (Learner Autonomy) from different aspects (specific 1); In China, some Chinese researchers begin to show great
interest in LA, and have made tentative studies on it (specific 2). Nevertheless, the investigation of Chinese students in
this field is still limited. Various aspects still need be studied further (general). (QI & LI, 2005, p. 68)
The research reveals that determiners and ordinal numbers are often applied to introduce specific statements.  Rights Reserved.
Transitioners are used to introduce the concluding general statement.
Claim-Counterclaim Pattern
Claim-counterclaim pattern is constituted of: situation → claim → reason → affirm → evaluation (Hoey,
2001, p. 180). To respond to the claim, the writer can support or deny it with corresponding reasons or evidences.
If the response is not positive, correction usually follows accompanied by reasons. For example:
A Polish proverb claims that fish, to taste right, should swim three times—in water, in butter and in wine (claim).
The early efforts of the scientists in the food industry were directed at improving the preparation, preservation, and
distribution of safe and nutritious food (reason). Indeed, in 1959 the University of California considered the subject of
sufficient importance to warrant the setting-up of a course in the analysis of foods by sensory methods (affirm). The book,
Principles of Sensory Evaluation of Food, grew out of this course (evidence). Hopefully, it will be useful to food
technologists in industry and also to others engaged on research into the problem of sensory evaluation of foods
(evaluation). (PENG, 2001, p. 181)
According to McCarthy (2005, p. 80), organizers that cluster around the claim-counterclaim pattern can be words of affirmation or denial or agument.
Methodology
The research conducts a comparative study in frequency of the textual patterns and organizers identified in the essays by the subjects. During the research, a training program is performed by teaching the two textual patterns to the same subjects.
Subjects and Materials Used Before and After Training
Two group subjects of each 30 involved in the research before and after training are respectively randomly
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THEORY OF TEXTUAL PATTERNS AND DISCOURSE COHERENCE picked out of 74 first-year-doctoral candidates of non-English majors in a certain university. They are all the
Chinese native speakers and have received nine years of formal English learning. The two group materials are
respectively from a test at the beginning of the new semester and from the final term exam. The type of writing is
exposition and the word limit is around 300.
Procedures of the Training Program
A training program on teaching the textual patterns to the same 74 students is set up in the middle of the
semester. The program lasts four weeks; for the first two weeks, two academic hours are taken from each week
for training one textual pattern. The first of the two academic hours is spent on the teacher’s illustration and the
students’ identification of the pattern in a provided material; and the second hour is on the students’ application of
the pattern by writing an essay of about 200 words. The assignment is collected for correction. The rest two
weeks are spent on practicing the patterns by writing more essays with around 300 words.
Data Collected
The data collected in Table 1 are frequency of the two textual patterns and their corresponding organizers from the two group samples before and after training by identifying in each sample the structural elements of each
pattern and the organizers based on Vocabulary 3.
Table 1
Pre- and Post-Training Frequency of Textual Patterns and Word Organizers
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Total patterns Total organizers Pattern
pre-30 post-30 pre-30 post-30
17 25 43 84
general-specific
1
2 claim-counterclaim 2
3 1
4 39
Table 2 presents forms of problems, its corresponding percentage, and the effect of the problems. The criteria for determining the problems are whether the structural elements and organizers are present and used correctly.
Table 2
Forms of Problems With Discourse Coherence
Essays Percentage
Forms of problems
Effect of problems
pre post pre post
Unclear background information    6    2 0.2 0.067 Cutoff of discourse coherence Structural
elements Absence of the key structural element  4 0 0.133 0
Organizers Absence of organizers    6    2 0.2 0.067
0 Tediousness
Unnecessary use of organizers 5 0 0.167
Improper use of organizers 14    4 0.467 0.133 Cutoff
Discussion
Identification of Textual Patterns in the Samples
Table 1 shows that general-specific increases from 50% of the total samples before training to 83% after training and claim-counterclaim also increases remarkably after training. The finding proves that the two patterns function as macro-structures in discourse production and “Certain patterns in text reoccur time and timediscourse
THEORY OF TEXTUAL PATTERNS AND DISCOURSE COHERENCE 1207
again and become deeply ingrained as part of our cultural knowledge” (McCarthy, 2005, p. 28). The result also reveals the students’ increased awareness of their simple and valid application in essay writing. It further demonstrates that textual patterns can also occur in a patch larger than a paragraph, and “more than one patterns can occur in a text, either following one another or embedded within one another” (McCarthy, 2005, p. 159).
McCarthy (2005) held that “Patterns in text are generated by the vocabulary relations that are found over clause and sentence boundaries, and by the role of certain words in signaling their structure” (p. 8
6). Thereby, when an organizer occurs in a pattern, it is deemed to form a repetition link with every one of its previous and subsequent occurrences in the text, creating coherence and making sense of a discourse.
Problems With Discourse Coherence Revealed by Textual Patterns
Table 2 presents problems with discourse coherence in structural elements and organizers. According to McCarthy (2005), some errors seem most likely to be relatable to lack of competence at coping with global planning, taking for example the error of absence of the key structural element. The error of unclear background information seems mostly likely to be affected by the conventional Chinese way of writing.
The problems with organizers indicate that misusing signaling words can disorient the reader somewhat, although the overall patterning is present. The error of absence of organizers definitely creates such result. And the error of unnecessary use of organizers leads to “overproduction”, a property of negative language transfer.
Besides, Table 2 shows that the decreasing percentage of the problems after training should be attributed to the accomplishment of the training program since it has greatly contributed to the students
’ awareness of
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applying the textual patterns and also enhanced their linguistic competence at the lexico-grammatical level.
Conclusions
The research confirms that textual patterns advocated by McCarthy and Hoey can also frequently occur in English essays written by Chinese EFL learners. The patterns are proved to be an effective means for not only discourse interpretation but also for disclosing problems with discourse coherence. Furthermore, they are feasible strategies for constructing larger discourses in a top-down way. The study also indicates that the potential existence of more other patterns in texts writtern both by English native speakers and Chinese English learners in reality. Therefore, the further exploration of textual patterns will be definitely beneficial in guiding language learners to construct coherent discourse in English.
References
Hoey, M. (2001). Textual interaction: An introduction to written discourse analysis. London: Routledge.
McCarthy, M. (2005). Discourse analysis for language teachers. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
PENG, Q. (2001). Guide to the English entrance exam for doctoral candidates. Beijing: China People University Press.
QI, S. J., & LI, Q. (2005). A survey on English majors’ attitudes towards learner autonomy. Teaching English in China. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
Winter, E. O. (1978). A look at the role of certain words in information structure. In K. P. Jones & V. Horsnell (Eds.), Informatics, 3(1), 85-97, London: ASLIB.

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