An Analysis of Grammatical Cohesion in TED Speech Texts: A Case Study of Teach Girls Bravery, Not Perfection

Abstract

Based on the cohesion theory of Halliday and Hasan, this study analyzed the application of cohesion devices and explored the significant characteristics of their frequency and distribution in a TED speech Teach girls bravery, not perfection. Through quantitative and
qualitative analysis, it is found that reference is the most frequently used grammatically cohesive device, mainly due to the high frequency of
personal reference in the whole speech text, which refers to both the speaker and the audience. And in the subcategory of conjunctions, additive conjunctions are the most frequently used, and the simplest form and, is used to add some new information and promote the development of the speech content. Finally, substitution and omission were used in a limited way.