Examples of Topical Structure Analysis Diagrams

Example Analysis 1

The editorial diagrammed below appeared in The New York Times of Dec. 9, 1998, Page A28, under the headline “The Election Commissioners’ Duty.”

Discourse topic = illegal fund-raising by Dole and Clinton
1. Federal Election Commission
2.  both candidates [ref=Clinton and Dole]
3.  both [ref=Clinton and Dole]
4.      the party
5.          ambiguity
6.              explicit language
7.                  the Democratic ads 
8.                      Mr. Clinton
9. they [the federal election commissioners]
10.                                 the laws 

Summary of Analysis No. 1
Publication =                   Times
T-units =                   10
Parallel progressions =         1
Extended parallel progressions =    1   
Sequential progressions =       8
s-prog ratio =              9/10
p-prog ratio =                  1/10
Percent s-prog =                90%
Percent p-prog =                10%

Example Analysis 2

The editorial diagrammed below appeared in The New York Times of Dec. 15, 1998, Page A26, under the headline “Mr. Vacco Confronts Reality.”

Discourse topic = attorney general Vacco's fight
to prevent certification of challenger
1. New York State's Attorney General, Dennis Vacco
2.  his fight
3.      quest ... (derivative)
4.          Governor Pataki 
5.          he [ref=Pataki]
6. Mr. Vacco
7.              Mr. Spitzer
8.              he [ref=Spitzer]
9.              he 


Summary of Analysis No. 2
Publication =                   Times
T-units =                   9
Parallel progressions =         3
Extended parallel progressions =    1   
Sequential progressions =       5
s-prog ratio =              5/9
p-prog ratio =                  3/9
Percent s-prog =                55%
Percent p-prog =                33%

Example Analysis 3

The editorial diagrammed below appeared in The New York Times of Dec. 14, 1998, Page A30, under the headline “The Science of Silicone Implants.”

Discourse topic = use of scientific evidence in silicone implant disease litigation
1. scientific evidence
2.  Federal Judge Sam Pointer Jr.
3.      his approach
4.      that strategy
5.          lawyers from both sides
6.              the findings
7.                  thousands of cases
8.                      Dow Corning Corp. and representatives
9.                      both sides
10.             the new report
11.             the panel's findings
12.                             A National Cancer Institute study
13.                                 Results from that study
14.                                     A panel
15.                 the report from Judge Pointer's panel
16.                                         other scientists

Summary of Analysis No. 3
Publication =                   Times
T-units =                   16
Parallel progressions =         3
Extended parallel progressions =    2   
Sequential progressions =       11
s-prog ratio =              11/16
p-prog ratio =              3/16
Percent s-prog =                68%
Percent p-prog =                18%

More Diagram Examples

There are 12 more examples of diagrammed newspaper editorials in the following paper:

Topical Structure Analysis of Accomplished English Prose

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Abstract: Topical Structure Analysis of Newspaper Editorials

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