National open university of nigeria school of arts and social sciences
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| 3.5. Identification Identification is the use of determiners to point out that their noun phrase is co- referential with some earlier item, usually a noun or noun phrase (Aremo, 2004: 629). Identification is different from Reference, because reference makes use of pro-forms, while Identification, as the name goes, identifies a nominal item/group through the use of determines and a nominal item. Determiners used include the definite article the and demonstrative adjectives, such as this, that, those, etc. Examples of texts with Identification are given below. 3.21.A man came to my office yesterday. The man was sent by my uncle. 3.22.I have heard a lot of terrible stories about kidnapping in Lagos. Those stories made me afraid whenever I visit the city. 3.23.She is married to a well-respected man in the country. That man is generous and humble. 3.24.When he came yesterday he asked me where he could get a young girl to play with. The question keeps bothering me because I do not consider him that irresponsible. In the three texts above, the nominal groups the man, those stories, that man and the question are elements signifying identification, because they identify the nominal groups in the clauses that precede the ones in which they occur. Sometimes, the identifying element maybe more complex than just a determiner and a noun. It may include some adjectives, as in the example below 75 3.25.You walked out on me yesterday because I called you to order at the meeting. Your irresponsible behaviour may get you sacked if you don’t exercise some caution. The expression your irresponsible behaviour is an identification of what the addresses did to the speaker the previous day. The word irresponsible is used to qualify the addressee’s behaviour. Download 0.49 Mb. Share with your friends:
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