The Impact of Genre on Morphological and Syntactic Complexity: A Comparative Linguistic Study of Descriptive and Argumentative Texts

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate, in Linguistics at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Linguistics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of genre on syntactic and morphological complexity in descriptive and argumentative texts. Seventy twelfth-grade students wrote two short texts on the same topic in both argumentative and descriptive genres. These genres were chosen due to differences in writing style and cognitive processes. A syntactic complexity analyzer was employed to identify various aspects of complexity and convert text features into quantitative units. Data analysis reveals a clear influence of genre on morphological and syntactic complexity. Descriptive texts exhibit higher lexical richness and structural complexity, focusing on imagery and experiential elements. In contrast, argumentative texts emphasize precision and clarity of specialized concepts, using a more restricted but exclusive vocabulary. These findings highlight the importance of understanding linguistic differences between descriptive and argumentative styles. Furthermore, the results of this study could greatly impact the preparation and development of educational materials, language teaching strategies, translation, and content creation tailored to the cognitive complexities of audiences.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Linguistic Studies: Theory and Practice

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 26 April 2025

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 28 August 2024
  • Revise Date: 24 April 2025
  • Accept Date: 26 April 2025

Share

How to cite

Statistics