Verbal Morphology and Cohesion in Indonesian Written Texts

Abstract

In this paper I will examine the discourse deployment of focus in written Indonesian. I will show that a full understanding of its function in Indonesian requires an understanding, not only of the structure of clauses, but also of the linear and hierarchical organizational structure of the texts in which they are found. The focus system is used as a marker of continuity and discontinuity, both at the level of clauses, and at the level of overall textual organization.