RELATIONAL PROPOSITIONS IN TEXT COMPREHENSION PROCESSES

This study is based on the assumption that texts are composed of two kinds of propositions: lexical and relational. Lexical propositions account for semantic relations within a clause, and they can be described as semantic role relations between a lexical predicate and its arguments. Relational propositions account for functional relations among clauses, sentences, and passages of any size. The terms "rhetorical " and "relational prol.osition " are used synonymously. Lexical propositions are in the text and are lexically and grammatically signalled, whereas relational or rhetorical propositions are not unambiguously signalled. The question of how rhetorical relations are understood by readers of texts is addressed, and two empirical studies are reported briefly that seem to support the following hypotheses: (1) at least in some text comprehension tasks, relationship propositions seem to be identified with some degree of consensus; and (2) comprehension of relational propositions may figure more consciously and explicitly in some demanding text comprehens.lon tasks such as translation. It is concluded tnat more research is needed to determine whether it is realistic to assume that a battery of rhetorical relations can be delineated so accurately that readers can be taught to identify them with a great degree of consensus. (LB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ails&amp