Encapsulación y estructura informativa: análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo de las variables influyentes en la selección de patrones temático-remáticos en el editorial periodístico

Encapsulators are cohesive noun phrases that compress the content of discursive segments of predicative nature. Their persuasive potential has been extensively highlighted in the literature. Some studies have identified general tendencies in the use of encapsulators in thematic or rhematic positions. However, the parameters influencing the preference for thematic or rhematic encapsulators have not been specifically addressed with quantitative data. The aim of this article is to analyse those parameters in a corpus of newspaper editorials. We have selected several parameters, most of them related to their evaluative and/or persuasive potential, that might influence the use of encapsulators in the thematic-rhematic progression. Rhematic encapsulators are slightly more frequent, but we show that there are no clear correlations between each pair of parameters. Although evaluation seems to play a role (the most evaluative encapsulators tend to appear in rhematic positions), we try to show that this is mediated by many other factors that make encapsulation a less predictable type of referential expression. We also reflect on the importance of other parameters, i.e. cognitive (accessibility) and textual (genre).