By Dana P Skopal, PhD
Depending on how you learnt English grammar, you may know that sentences have a general structure of subject + verb + object. The subject describes what the topic of the sentence is about and aligns with given information that a reader would know or expect, following the linguistic principle of Given-New .
One way to understand the Given-New principle is to think how you understand what is going on when reading. In any text, a reader would be expecting to go from reading familiar to unfamiliar information, that is, to learn new information or new concepts.
As a writer, you are writing for your reader, and you want to get your message across. Hence when writing, aim to present given information before any new information. If you think of subject + verb + object, the sentence becomes: given (or known topic) + verb + new information. Our research has shown that if you place unknown or new information at the beginning of your sentence, then you most likely will lose your reader.
Writing may be part of our thinking process, so when we have that ‘ah ha – now I have the solution’ moment, we tend to place the finding at the beginning of a sentence. This is where a writer needs to step back and explain that new finding to their reader. If you leave that new concept at the beginning of your sentence, then a reader asks where did that come from. You need to tell your reader something like: after examining the materials, we now understand that [our solution] is the answer. Your solution is placed after the topic [we = given/known information] and verb [understand].
The Given-New principle is not something new or even just a linguistic tool. This principle links to how a reader deals with information, and psychologists have looked at this processing of information; see the work of Frederick Conrad (reference below). The Given-New Principle has also been referred to as the Information Flow Principle; a writer wants their information to logically flow for their reader. So remember when writing to check that you have not placed unfamiliar information at the beginning of your sentences – do not throw your reader off with new material at the start.
Conrad, F. G., & Rips, L. J. (1986). Conceptual combination and the given/new distinction. Journal of Memory and Language, 25 (3), 255-278. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-596X(86)90001-X.
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