The functional approach, which views language as a potential for meaning in social situations, seems particularly relevant in analyzing the dynamic interaction between text and context. Function determines structure, and the context, which comes to define the function, determines the kinds of text that will be communicative. As the contextual variables become less constraining, the psychological distance between participants increases and the text then needs to compensate by becoming increasingly complete or explicit in order for the semantic and pragmatic potential of language to be realized. The contexts in which a person selects either the oral or written mode are quite different, so that the function of the language event in the context varies and thus affects the structure and features of the text. In the oral mode, the situation is contextually more constrained and the text usually demonstrates less lexical density but more syntactic complexity and can rely more on aspects of context. In the written mode, the situation is less constrained and the text demonstrates greater lexical density but less syntactic complexity. (HOD)