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Syntagmatic and Functional Context of Pauses During Writing : A Hallidayan Perspective

Sayyad Mahernia, Mojtaba LU (2026) In Written Communication
Abstract
Studies on the writing process through the analysis of pauses, highlight a link between content formulation and linguistic units. From a text linguistics perspective, particularly Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), this relationship becomes even more apparent. This study investigates the location and duration of pauses in relation to syntagmatic units and their functional roles using an SFL-based framework, answering: (1) In what syntagmatic and functional contexts do pauses occur during the process of writing? (2) How does the length of pauses vary in different syntagmatic and functional contexts during the process of writing? (3) How do the frequency and length of pauses during writing vary because of interactions between their... (More)
Studies on the writing process through the analysis of pauses, highlight a link between content formulation and linguistic units. From a text linguistics perspective, particularly Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), this relationship becomes even more apparent. This study investigates the location and duration of pauses in relation to syntagmatic units and their functional roles using an SFL-based framework, answering: (1) In what syntagmatic and functional contexts do pauses occur during the process of writing? (2) How does the length of pauses vary in different syntagmatic and functional contexts during the process of writing? (3) How do the frequency and length of pauses during writing vary because of interactions between their syntagmatic and functional contexts? Using keystroke logging, the writing process of 20 adult native English speakers composing argumentative essays was recorded. Findings suggest key syntagmatic and functional units prompt pauses, signaling decision-making moments and cognitive effort in generating a coherent text.
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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
SFL, Keystroke Logging, Pause Analysis, Text Linguistics, Digital Writing, Cognitive Processes
in
Written Communication
pages
37 pages
external identifiers
  • scopus:105045391590
DOI
10.1177/07410883261461550
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4da4fa52-ce90-4482-a80e-d9d6ab980201
date added to LUP
2026-07-18 22:17:33
date last changed
2026-08-07 13:38:29
@article{4da4fa52-ce90-4482-a80e-d9d6ab980201,
  abstract     = {{Studies on the writing process through the analysis of pauses, highlight a link between content formulation and linguistic units. From a text linguistics perspective, particularly Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), this relationship becomes even more apparent. This study investigates the location and duration of pauses in relation to syntagmatic units and their functional roles using an SFL-based framework, answering: (1) In what syntagmatic and functional contexts do pauses occur during the process of writing? (2) How does the length of pauses vary in different syntagmatic and functional contexts during the process of writing? (3) How do the frequency and length of pauses during writing vary because of interactions between their syntagmatic and functional contexts? Using keystroke logging, the writing process of 20 adult native English speakers composing argumentative essays was recorded. Findings suggest key syntagmatic and functional units prompt pauses, signaling decision-making moments and cognitive effort in generating a coherent text.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Sayyad Mahernia, Mojtaba}},
  keywords     = {{SFL; Keystroke Logging; Pause Analysis; Text Linguistics; Digital Writing; Cognitive Processes}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  series       = {{Written Communication}},
  title        = {{Syntagmatic and Functional Context of Pauses During Writing : A Hallidayan Perspective}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/07410883261461550}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/07410883261461550}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}