# Q5c · Discourse analysis of a conversation

Subject: Natural Language Processing

Exam: TEE

Reader: https://deep-learning-study-room.vercel.app/nlp/#tee/papers/legacy-f24/q5c

Canonical: https://deep-learning-study-room.vercel.app/read/nlp/tee/papers/legacy-f24--q5c/

Previous examination · complete worked answers

**Question. Analyze coherence, cohesion, topic structure, information flow and discourse markers: Speaker1 “I went to the store to buy some milk.” Speaker2 “Was it crowded?” Speaker1 “Yes, I had to wait in line for10minutes.” Speaker3 “I was going to attend the meeting, but I got stuck in traffic.”** [5 marks]

### Answer

| Feature | Evidence and explanation |
| --- | --- |
| Coherence | First3turns form a meaningful store/crowding/waiting exchange. The meeting/traffic turn shifts topic without an explicit bridge; local relevance is weaker. |
| Cohesion | it refers to the store; Yes answers the preceding question; first-person I shifts referent with each speaker. |
| Topic structure | Store visit→crowding→wait; then new topic of meeting attendance and traffic. |
| Information flow | Known store is followed by new question crowding, then new evidence10-minute wait. The last turn introduces separate plans and obstacle. |
| Discourse markers | Yes signals affirmation; but signals contrast between intention and obstructing traffic. “To buy” states purpose, not merely temporal order. |

Cohesion is explicit linguistic linkage; coherence is meaningful conceptual connection. A conversation can contain grammatical connectors and still have a poorly connected topic shift.