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<Paper uid="C82-2024">
  <Title>A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF DEFINITE ARTICLES IN ENGLISHSCIENTIFIC TEXTS AND IN ENGLISH LITERATURE</Title>
  <Section position="1" start_page="0" end_page="0" type="metho">
    <SectionTitle>
A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF DEFINITE ARTICLES
IN ENGLISHSCIENTIFIC TEXTS AND IN ENGLISH LITERATURE
Janlne Gallals-Hamonno
</SectionTitle>
    <Paragraph position="0"> Fac. des Lettres et Sciences Humalnes, Universlt~ de Metz, Ile du Saulcy, 57000 Metz, France This paper is a continuation of the paper by lh-ofessor I~AMSEY on the use of the definite article In English.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="1"> Professor Kramsk~y found that the definite article Is less used in newspapers than In scientific texts, and is less used In literary texts than In newspapers.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="2"> Our analysis of English scientific texts led us ~o propose a theory which distInguishes In sclentiflc texts two different types of propositions: - those whlchoonvey the scientific message of the author, 1.e. the new theory or polnt of theory he proposesdeg These propositions we call the language propositions In the text.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="3"> - those which are used to explain, illustrate and comment on the language propositions. They help the reader understand and approve of the author*s new Ideas. These we call discourse propositions.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="4"> The definite article Is used An these two types of pro- null positions In s different way: - In language propositions, the definite article introduces the terms or expressions used to designate the concepts operative for the analysis presented by the author.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="5"> - In dlscqurs~ propositions, the definite article is used to introduce the terms or expressions which designate the examples, Illustrations which the author refers to in order to explain his theory to the reader.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="6"> - III - null F~om this analysis of the use of the definite article An English scientific texts, there can be devised a quasi automatic content analysis of a scientific text, through the analysis of the words introduced by the definite articles In the text.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="7"> Fromthls analysis of the use of definite articles An scientific texts, we proceeded to an analysis of the defin-Ite article in literature.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="8"> We first worked on Victory by Joseph Conrad, and then on the ~ by Shakespeare.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="9"> From this analysis, we can say that, whether the author of a given text be a scientist or a poet, there is at work a logical process which can be traced through the use of the definite article.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="10"> The problem of the difference An the number of tames the definite article is used An scientific texts end An literature As due to the fact that the scientist has to demonstrate a theory, which is a purely logical process, whereas the poet aims at creating beauty end an J~aglnaT,y world which the reader must accept of. That Is why there As more emphasis In literature on whet we call ~ propositions than on what we call language propositions.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="11"> Nevertheless t there can be traced In both types of croat-Ave work some similar patterns through which the human mlnd finds and expresses new things, which can be Illustrated by an analysis of the use made ~y the author of the definite artlcle.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph position="12"> - 112 -</Paragraph>
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