Discourse: extended stretches of communication occurring in different…

The idea

Discourse means language above the single sentence: a whole conversation, article, speech, thread or broadcast. Analysts ask how it is organised, what it is doing and who it addresses. Genre shapes purpose and structure, so a tabloid editorial and a linguistics blog differ in layout and stance. Mode concerns channel: spoken, written or blended digital forms, each with different turn-taking, editing and permanence. Context covers participants, setting, relationships and wider social debates about language. A practical method is to segment the extract into moves or stages, label each function, then track cohesive ties such as pronouns, repetition and discourse markers across them. This shows how meaning accumulates beyond isolated words and sentences.

What earns the marks

• Defines discourse as extended communication above sentence level, not merely a synonym for text type.
• Explains how genre influences purpose, structure, register and typical audience expectations.
• Distinguishes mode as the channel of communication, including spoken, written and digital blended forms.
• Shows how context, including participants, setting and social attitudes, shapes what discourse does.
• Applies a method such as segmenting into moves or stages and tracking cohesive ties across the extract.
• Uses accurate terminology, for example discourse marker, adjacency pair, cohesion and stance, when analysing data.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating discourse as simply a long text.

  Put it right by analysing organisation, function and interaction across the whole stretch.

• Confusing mode with genre.

  Put it right by separating the channel of communication from the socially recognised text type.

• Listing features without linking them to context.

  Put it right by explaining how each feature responds to participants, setting or purpose.

Exam tips

• Quote a short stretch of data, then name the discourse move it performs before commenting on effect.
• Track one cohesive chain, such as repeated lexis or pronouns, across the whole extract to show cumulative meaning.
• Link every genre or mode comment back to a specific contextual factor rather than asserting a general impression.