Article1989

Themes and Tails: The Discourse Functions of Dislocated Elements

138 citations0/0 files storedNordic Journal of Linguistics

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Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation Linguistics and Discourse Analysis

Abstract

The article deals with Themes (the function associated with left-dislocated structures) and Tails (the function associated with right-dislocated structures) in English conversation. The noun phrase is placed as Theme in “our maths chap he is an Indian” and as Tail in “they very often are these Eastern Europeans”. It is shown that Themes and Tails are functionally different phenomena. Themes are explained interactionally in terms of the negotiation of information which takes place between speaker and hearer, while Tails are associated with the interpersonal or polite function of speech.

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References

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