My Discourse Grammar Study Questions

In response to a request for smaller pop-ups in the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (LDGNT), forums MVP Keep Smiling 4 Jesus (aka: Keep Smiling, KS4J) suggested building a Personal Book (PB) with one line for each discourse device and prioritize the PB above the LDGNT Glossary. The result was much smaller pop-ups. (For details, see forum post: https://community.logos.com/forums/t/37003.aspx)

Instead of making the pop-ups smaller, I had a growing interest in listing more questions that can help me get more out of my studies, so I built this PB with study questions and links to the Glossaries and Introductions for all four Lexham Discourse Bibles:

·  Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (LDGNT bundle: https://www.logos.com/product/3888)

·  High Definition New Testament (Part of the LDGNT bundle)

·  Lexham Discourse Hebrew Bible (LDHB bundle: https://www.logos.com/product/6786)

·  High Definition Old Testament (Part of the LDHB bundle)

Resources that may be helpful to edit this document and build your own PB:

·  Keep Smiling's forum info: https://community.logos.com/forums/t/37003.aspx

·  Personal Books: https://wiki.logos.com/Personal_Books (especially sections on Milestones and Resource Links)

·  Prioritizing Resources: https://wiki.logos.com/Prioritizing

When building this PB, set the type to monograph. I titled my PB the same as this Word document, " My Discourse Grammar Study Questions." I prioritized the resources for this PB as follows:

The questions will pop-up when you hover over a discourse device. You can also right-click on the device (such as Elaboration in the example below) to go to your PB and from there go to the related glossary and introduction.

Questions in numeric outline format are from one or more books in the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament Bundle (6 vols.) and/or the Lexham Discourse Hebrew Bible Bundle (6 vols.).

Questions in bullet-point format have been added by the author/builder of this PB (usually based on information from the two bundles cited above).

You have my permission to freely edit, build a PB from, use and distribute this MS Word Document to meet your needs and help others in their study of God's word.

If you have any corrections or suggestions that would improve this PB, please reply to the post where you found this document so we all can benefit.

Thank you, Faithlife, for the Logos Bible Software and the Lexham Discourse bundles. You have blessed me and many others to whom I had the privilege of teaching God's word.

Thank you, Keep Smiling for Jesus, for this and many other posts in the Logos forums. You are helping many advance in their use of Logos Bible Software and thereby become better students and teachers of the word of God and disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tim

https://community.logos.com/members/2879/default.aspx

[[LDGNT > logosres:ldgnt]]

Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament

[[@LDGNT:PntCl]][[Point (Clause Level) LDGNT:PntCl]]

  1. What is the relationship between the counterpoint and the point?
  2. Do they contrast with one another?
  3. Does the point build on or add to the counterpoint?
  4. Is the point more important than the preceding counterpoint?
  5. What elements are common/different between the two?
  6. Placing the counterpoint first creates the expectation that a point is coming.
  7. How does that expectation affect your understanding of the counterpoint?
  8. Conversely, how does knowing that there is a connected counterpoint change your understanding of the point?
  9. Is the connection between the counterpoint and the point made clear from the translation? How would missing the connection change your interpretation of the passage?
  10. Are there sentence-level counterpoint/point pairs inside the ones at paragraph-level? What do they contribute to the overall discourse?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div5]]), ([[1.1. Point-Counterpoint Sets > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.1]])

[[@LDGNT:CntrPntCl]][[Counterpoint (Clause Level) > LDGNT:CntrPntCl]]

  1. What is the relationship between the counterpoint and the point?
  2. Do they contrast with one another?
  3. Does the point build on or add to the counterpoint?
  4. Is the point more important than the preceding counterpoint?
  5. What elements are common/different between the two?
  6. Placing the counterpoint first creates the expectation that a point is coming.
  7. How does that expectation affect your understanding of the counterpoint?
  8. Conversely, how does knowing that there is a connected counterpoint change your understanding of the point?
  9. Is the connection between the counterpoint and the point made clear from the translation? How would missing the connection change your interpretation of the passage?
  10. Are there sentence-level counterpoint/point pairs inside the ones at paragraph-level? What do they contribute to the overall discourse?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div6]]), ([[1.1. Point-Counterpoint Sets > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.1]])

[[@LDGNT:PntPara]][[Point (Paragraph Level) LDGNT:PntPara]]

  1. What is the relationship between the counterpoint and the point?
  2. Do they contrast with one another?
  3. Does the point build on or add to the counterpoint?
  4. Is the point more important than the preceding counterpoint?
  5. What elements are common/different between the two?
  6. Placing the counterpoint first creates the expectation that a point is coming.
  7. How does that expectation affect your understanding of the counterpoint?
  8. Conversely, how does knowing that there is a connected counterpoint change your understanding of the point?
  9. Is the connection between the counterpoint and the point made clear from the translation? How would missing the connection change your interpretation of the passage?
  10. Are there sentence-level counterpoint/point pairs inside the ones at paragraph-level? What do they contribute to the overall discourse?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div7]]), ([[1.1. Point-Counterpoint Sets > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.1]])

[[@LDGNT:CntrPntPara]][[Counterpoint (Paragraph Level) LDGNT:CntrPntPara]]

  1. What is the relationship between the counterpoint and the point?
  2. Do they contrast with one another?
  3. Does the point build on or add to the counterpoint?
  4. Is the point more important than the preceding counterpoint?
  5. What elements are common/different between the two?
  6. Placing the counterpoint first creates the expectation that a point is coming.
  7. How does that expectation affect your understanding of the counterpoint?
  8. Conversely, how does knowing that there is a connected counterpoint change your understanding of the point?
  9. Is the connection between the counterpoint and the point made clear from the translation? How would missing the connection change your interpretation of the passage?
  10. Are there sentence-level counterpoint/point pairs inside the ones at paragraph-level? What do they contribute to the overall discourse?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div8]]), ([[1.1. Point-Counterpoint Sets > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.1]])

[[@LDGNT:FwdPntRef]][[Forward-pointing Reference LDGNT:FwdPntRef]]

1.  What is the impact of using the forward-pointing reference / target that would not have been achieved by simply omitting the forward-pointing reference?

2.  Is the forward-pointing reference highlighted using other devices?

3.  Is the reference a question-word, like ‘who’ or ‘what’? Does it create a rhetorical question? What kind of answer is expected by the question (positive or negative)?

4.  How important is the target information to the context?

  1. Does it provide a definition of something?
  2. Does it introduce a goal, objective, or solution?
  3. Is it the key idea the speaker or writer is trying to communicate?

5.  How long does the writer make you ‘wait’ before you find the target?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div10]]), ([[1.2. Forward-pointing Reference and Target > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.2]])

[[@LDGNT:FwdPntTgt]][[Forward-pointing Target LDGNT:FwdPntTgt]]

1.  What is the impact of using the forward-pointing reference / target that would not have been achieved by simply omitting the forward-pointing reference?

2.  Is the forward-pointing reference highlighted using other devices?

3.  Is the reference a question-word, like ‘who’ or ‘what’? Does it create a rhetorical question? What kind of answer is expected by the question (positive or negative)?

4.  How important is the target information to the context?

  1. Does it provide a definition of something?
  2. Does it introduce a goal, objective, or solution?
  3. Is it the key idea the speaker or writer is trying to communicate?

5.  How long does the writer make you ‘wait’ before you find the target?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div11]]), ([[1.2. Forward-pointing Reference and Target > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.2]])

[[@LDGNT:Meta-comment]][[Meta-comment > LDGNT:Meta-comment]]

  1. What new information is introduced following the meta-comment? How does the speaker use this comment to prepare the reader or listener? Identify the key thought that it introduces.
  2. Are there other forward-pointing tools used along with the meta-comment, like an attention getter? Are they clustered around one sentence or key thought?
  3. What role does the key thought introduced by the meta-comment play in the context?
  4. Is it introducing the topic of a new paragraph or section?
  5. Is it the concluding thought or application of an argument?
  6. Does it signal the close of a section of the discourse, punctuating the thoughts that preceded?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div12]]), ([[1.3. Meta-comments > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.3]])

[[@LDGNT:AttGetter]][[Attention-getter LDGNT:AttGetter]]

1.  Identify the person or thing that is introduced following the attention-getter.

  1. Is the person or thing brand new to the story or discussion, or is this a reintroduction?
  2. What role does this newly-introduced person or thing play in the context?
  3. Does this introduction signal a change to a new scene, or does it just add a new element to the existing scene?
  4. What does the story or discussion gain from the new person or element?

2.  If the person or thing occurs with a meta-comment, what is the key thought that is introduced?

3.  Are there other forward-pointing tools used along with the attention getter? What do they contribute? How do the tools work together?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div13]]), ([[1.4. Attention-getters > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.4]])

[[@LDGNT:RdntQFr]][[Redundant Quotative Frame LDGNT:RdntQFr]]

·  What are the extra/redundant speaking verbs?

·  Is the frame accompanied by other discourse devices (for emphasis)?

·  Who is speaking to whom (before and after this frame)?

o  Keep track of the pronouns and their antecedents!

·  Is this indicating a transition from narrative to reported speech?

o  Who's the speaker?

·  Is this the same speaker?

o  How does this segment the speech (into separate points of the speech)?

o  Has the speaker taken the conversation in a new or unexpected direction?

o  Is this indicating a surprising or important element of the speech (that follows)?

·  Did the speaker and hearer switch?

o  What are they talking about? (Look for topical and other frames.)

·  Have two speaking verbs been used within the same frame?

o  What was said after the frame?

o  How might this be an important part of the conversation?

·  What does this contribute to the meaning/message of the passage?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div14]]), ([[1.5. Redundant Quotative Frames > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.5]])

[[@LDGNT:HistPres]][[Historical Present LDGNT:HistPres]]

·  What speech or event follows the frame?

·  Accompanied by attention-getters or other discourse devices?

·  Is a new participant or significant information introduced?

·  Did the scene change or does an important speech or event follow the frame?

·  What does this contribute to the meaning/message of the passage?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div15]]), ([[1.6. Historical Present > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.6]])

[[@LDGNT:THLnk]][[Tail-Head Linkag > LDGNT: THLnk]]

·  What information has been repeated/restated?

·  Is the information worded differently the second time?

o  What's the difference?

o  What does this add to the information?

·  What is the relationship between the clauses before and after the link?

o  Describe the continuity and discontinuity between the clauses.

·  What surprising or important information/action follows the link?

·  How does this link build suspense or make the story more engaging/intriguing?

·  Are there any forward-pointing or other devices used in the passage?

o  How do these devices work together and impact the passage?

·  How can this help me communicate the message more vividly and accurately to others?

·  What does this contribute to the meaning/message of the passage?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div16]]), ([[1.7. Tail-Head Linkage > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec1.7]])

[[@LDGNT:Ovspc]][[Overspecification > LDGNT:Ovspc]]

·  Who or what has been recharacterize?

·  What additional information has been provided?

·  What does that teach about the referent?

·  How does this connect to the theme of the context?

·  How might the passage read without the Overspecification?

·  How has the thematic content shifted?

·  What is the writer trying to draw attention to?

·  What does this contribute to the meaning/message of the passage?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div18]]), ([[2.1. Overspecification > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec2.1]])

[[@LDGNT:ThemAdd]][[Thematic Address LDGNT:ThemAdd]]

1. What name or expression was used the last time the person or thing was referred to? Has there been a change?

2. What detail does the address draw to your attention? How does this contribute to the overall theme of the context?

3. How does thinking about the person or thing based on the ‘thematic address’ impact how you read this passage?

·  Does this indicate how the speaker perceives the addressee (or what he thinks of the addressee)? Explain.

·  Does this indicate a transition or new section within the speech (common when the Thematic Address is repeated)?

·  Does this indicate a change in addressee? From/to who?

·  Did the addressee response to the characterization?

·  What does this contribute to the meaning/message of the passage?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div19]]), ([[2.2. Thematic Address > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec2.2]])

[[@LDGNT:RtDisloc]][[Right-dislocation LDGNT:RtDisloc]]

·  Which previously-mentioned entity/term does this refer to?

·  What additional information does this provide?

·  What does this contribute to the meaning/message of the passage?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div20]]), ([[2.3. Right-dislocation > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec2.3]])

[[@LDGNT:Thematic Addition]][[Thematic Addition LDGNT:Thematic Addition]]

·  What is the preceding parallel element this information connects to?

·  What additional information does this provide?

·  How does this information relate to that element?

·  What does this contribute to the meaning/message of the passage?

([[Glossary > logosres:ldgntglossary;art=div21]]), ([[2.4. Thematic Addition > logosres:ldgntintro;art=sec2.4]])

[[@LDGNT:NearDem]][[Near Demonstrative Pronouns LDGNT:NearDem]]

·  What is identified as "Near" (great/ongoing thematic importance)?

·  Is this compared to a "Far" element? What is it?

·  What do they have in common? Differences?