Elaboration
Pattern
General claim→specific detail — development of existing content
Definition
A discourse relation where one segment provides more detail, specification, or explanation of another. The elaborating segment does not add new propositional content but develops existing content.
Examples
Example 1
'The city has a rich cultural heritage. Its museums house collections spanning three millennia, and its theaters host performances year-round.' — the second sentence elaborates on 'rich cultural heritage'.
AI Detection Note
AI elaboration tends to be circular — restating the general claim in slightly different words rather than providing genuinely new specific detail. Human elaboration typically introduces concrete, specific information that actually develops the point.
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