Binary connective constructions in parliamentary debate

Abstract

Abstract: Parliamentary debate is essentially an argumentative genre because members of parliament defend a stance regarding a topic of discussion. This position is embodied in argumentative structures, parts of which are often defined by binary connectives (mostly causal and consequence, but also conditional, final, adversative and concessive). The aim of this paper is to analyse such constructions both linguistically and argumentatively in a corpus composed of three debates in Catalan taking place in the Parliament of Catalonia. The analysis is made both from a local perspective (case by case) and from a global perspective (each case integrated into the discursive chain). Firstly, our data are compared with the results of previous studies dealing with the relationship between discursive genre and the use of connectives (Castellà 2001; Cuenca 2013a). Secondly, the relationship between the uses of connectives and the degree of formality and preparation of parliamentary debate is discussed. Finally, the discourse construction and individual style of each Member of Parliament is analysed according to chain and coherence relationships as well as in terms of the type of argumentative order and movement.

Key words: binary relations, connective binary constructions, argumentation, parliamentary debate, discursive genre.