Identification of the central unit of argumentative texts in the context of examinations

Authors

  • Juliano Desiderato Antonio Universidade Estadual de Maringá
  • Kátia Roseane Cortez dos Santos Universidade Estadual de Maringá
  • Camila Cristiane Moreschi Universidade Estadual de Maringá
  • Daniella Paes da Silva Universidade Estadual de Maringá

Abstract

This study aims to investigate criteria for the identification of the central unit of argumentative texts in the context of university entrance examinations. The results of a previous study on argumentative answers produced by entrance examinations candidates are compared with the results obtained from the application of the same criteria to a corpus formed by argumentative essays produced by Brazilian National High School Exam (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio - Enem) candidates. The theoretical and methodological apparatus used was the Rhetorical Structure Theory, a descriptive theory that studies textual organization through implicit relations established between the parts of the text. Unlike argumentative answers, in which the central unit appears at the beginning of most texts, the most common position of the central unit in argumentative essays is between 20% and 30% of the length of the text. This organizational difference is due to the fact that, in argumentative answers, the text producer must start the text answering the question, whereas in argumentative essays, creating a background with relevant information is necessary to situate the reader with respect to the theme of the text. Another important feature in the search for a pattern is the frequency of certain words used in the central units. Nouns and adjectives used in the question show high frequency, since candidates tend to use these words in order to ensure that they meet the theme requested. The more subjective character of the answer in the argumentative answer genre favors the use of evidential verbs expressing propositional attitude (“believe” and “think”), acting as the matrix of the sentence in which the answer is given. In argumentative essays, the point of view is more objective, which does not favor the use of such verbs.

Keywords: central unit, argumentative essays, argumentative answers.

Author Biographies

Juliano Desiderato Antonio, Universidade Estadual de Maringá

Possui graduação em Letras pela Universidade Estadual de Londrina (1994), mestrado em Lingüística e Língua Portuguesa pela Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (1998), campus de Araraquara, doutorado em Linguística e Língua Portuguesa pela Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (2004), campus de Araraquara, pós-doutorado em Estudos Linguísticos pela Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (2011), campus de São José do Rio Preto. É docente da Universidade Estadual de Maringá, onde atua na graduação e no Programa de Pós-graduação.

Kátia Roseane Cortez dos Santos, Universidade Estadual de Maringá

Graduada em Letras pela Universidade Estadual de Maringá. Mestranda pela Universidade Estadual de Maringá e bolsista da Capes. Desenvolve projetos na área de Descrição linguística na perspectiva da Linguística Funcional.

Camila Cristiane Moreschi, Universidade Estadual de Maringá

Graduada em Letras pela Universidade Estadual de Maringá.

Daniella Paes da Silva, Universidade Estadual de Maringá

Graduanda em Letras pela Universidade Estadual de Maringá.

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Published

2017-05-26

How to Cite

Antonio, J. D., dos Santos, K. R. C., Moreschi, C. C., & da Silva, D. P. (2017). Identification of the central unit of argumentative texts in the context of examinations. Calidoscópio, 15(3), 490–499. Retrieved from https://www.revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/calidoscopio/article/view/cld.2017.153.08

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 3 (2017): September/December

Section

Articles

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