Scribd
Upload
149 views

Rhetorical Structure Theory

Rhetorical structure theory (RST) is a theory of text organization that analyzes the relationships between parts of a text. It defines a hierarchical structure and describes how different text spans are related through functional terms. Common relation types include elaboration, contrast, and explanation between a nucleus and satellites. RST also identifies presentational relations like motivation, background, evidence, and enablement that aim to increase the reader's desire, ability, or belief. The theory provides a systematic way to annotate a text by examining relationships between units and spans.

Uploaded by

Mariam m
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
149 views

Rhetorical Structure Theory

Rhetorical structure theory (RST) is a theory of text organization that analyzes the relationships between parts of a text. It defines a hierarchical structure and describes how different text spans are related through functional terms. Common relation types include elaboration, contrast, and explanation between a nucleus and satellites. RST also identifies presentational relations like motivation, background, evidence, and enablement that aim to increase the reader's desire, ability, or belief. The theory provides a systematic way to annotate a text by examining relationships between units and spans.

Uploaded by

Mariam m
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Rhetorical structure theory

Definitions of RST:

• Rhetorical structure theory (RST) can be defined as a theory of


text organization that has led to areas of application of discourse
analysis and text generation.
• It is a linguistic theory of how to text ''hangs together''.
• It is a linguistically useful method for describing natural texts,
characterizing their structure primarily in terms of relations that
hold between parts of the text.

Why RST?

• It defines hierarchic structure in text .


• It describes the relation between text parts and functional terms,
identifying both the transition point of a relation and the extent of
the items related .
• It provides comprehensive analyses rather than selective
commentary .
• It is insensitive to text size, and has been applied to a wide variety
of sizes of text.

Relations

• Most of the relations have two parts:

a nucleus and a set of one or more satellites.

• Some spans are more central to the text's purpose (nuclei),


whereas others are secondary (satellites).
• The nucleus is necessary but any satellites are optional .
• Spans are joined into discourse relations .
• Spans that are in a discourse relations may enter into new
relations.

1
Relation types

Subject matter relations those whose intended effect is that the hearer
recognizes the relation in question. They relate the content of the text
spans.

1. Elaboration

(Set-member, class/instance/whole-part…)

N: basic information

S: additional information

John likes Coffee. He drinks it every day.

2. Contrast

Multinuclear

S: one alternate

Other Span: the other alternate.

John likes coffee .Mary hates it.

3. Explanation

John went to the coffee shop. He was sleepy.

Presentational Relations

• Motivations (increases desire)


• Background (increases ability)
• Evidence (increases belief(
• Enablement (increases ability)
• Concession (increases positive regard)

2
Motivations

Motivation relates any utterance which expresses the speaker's desire


that the hearer performs some action (the nucleus) with material which
will justify the requested action (the satellites (

1. Come to the party for the new president.


2. There will be lots of good food .

A motivation relation exists between 1 and 2.

Evidence

Constraints on the Nucleus

• The reader may not believe N to a degree satisfactory to the


writer.

Constraints on the satellite

• The reader believes S or will find it credible .

Constraints on the combination of N+S

• The reader's comprehending S increases their belief of N

Effect (the intention of the writer)

• The reader's belief of N is increased

How to do a RST analysis

RST provides a systematic way for an analyst to annotate a text .

1. Divide the text into units .

Unit size may vary, depending on the goals of the analysis .

Typically, units are clauses (but not complement clauses)

2. Examine each unit, and its neighbours .Is there a clear relation
holding between them?
3. If yes, then mark that relation (e.g. Condition)

3
4. If not, the unit might be at the boundary of a higher-level relation.
Look at relations holding between larger units (spans) .
5. Continue unit all the units and the text are accounted for.
6. Remember, marking a relation involves satisfying all 4 fields
(especially the effect). The effect is the plausible intention that the
text creator had.

You might also like