Text reduction shifts

Text reduction shifts

The most important aim of text reduction shifts is eliminating not relevant elements in order to facilitate the comprehension. Moreover, another important aim is reformulating what is relevant.

Condensation and reformulation at word level

• Simplifying verbal periphrases with shorter verb form (he’s gonna be just the same > he won’t change)
• Generalizing (my mother and my father > my parents)
• Use a synonym or an equivalent expression (lots of money > rich)
• Use simple verbal tenses and not compound (had thrown > threw)
• Changing word classes like from adj to verb (that’s an expansive weapon > that costs a lot)
• Use short forms and contractions

Condensation and reformulation at sentence level

• Negative or interrogative clauses > affirmative (can’t you hear the difference > listen!)
• Indirect > direct questions (did I tell you there’s a party Friday? > there’s a party Friday)
• Simplifying indicators of modality
• Direct speech to indirect speech
• Manipulation of theme and rheme (the laundry, the ironing, your mother do all that > your mother do all the chores)
• Compound sentences > simple ones
• Active to passive and vice versa
• Use of pronouns or other deictics to replace nouns or noun phrases (there is no food in this high mountain > there is nothing to eat here)

Omissions

• At word level (a cup of coffee > a coffee)
• At sentence level (why did she leave? If she left, it’s because she had some reasons! > she must have had a reason)

Loan

A source text word > target text