Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

STANCE MARKERS

111

A number of common expressions mark the speaker’s stance or attitude towards

the message. Among the expressions which most frequently signal stances,

attitudes and points of view towards segments of discourse are:

The team are doing badly and, 

quite frankly, I think he should be replaced by

someone who knows what he’s doing.

I’ll have to call you back, 

I’m afraid. Okay?

actually

admittedly

amazingly

basically

certainly

clearly

confidentially

doubtless

essentially

frankly

to be frank

fortunately

honestly

to be honest

hopefully

ideally

if you ask me

I’m afraid

I must admit

I must say

I think

in fact

indeed

literally

naturally

no doubt

obviously

of course

predictably

putting 

(or to put) it

mildly/bluntly

(quite) rightly

really

sadly

seriously

(I’m) sorry

strictly speaking

surprisingly

thankfully

to tell you the truth

understandably

undoubtedly

unfortunately

222 | From discourse to social contexts

Cambridge Grammar of English

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[explaining to someone how to use dial-up internet on a home computer]

A: So now obviously when you’re on the internet, if someone tries to phone you,

they’ll just get an engaged tone. 

B: Right. 

A: Okay. But if you wanna use the telephone you just log off. Pick up the

telephone and dial. And that’s it. 

B: Okay. So basically if I’m on the internet for an hour or something, people

can’t phone in for an hour. 

A: Yeah. 

B: Okay. 

A: That’s just something you get used to. 

The = sign indicates an utterance which is cut short

[at a travel agent’s; A is the assistant]

A: Is it okay to send the information to your mother? I mean it’s not a surprise

holiday or anything? 

B: Oh, well to be honest actually she doesn’t know that I’m making these

arrangements. 

A: Oh lovely. 

B : So it would actually be better if it was= 

A: So if you could give me your postcode. 

B: Oh, it’s the same actually. 

A: It is? 

B: Yeah. 

A–Z

9 Actual, actually; 46 In fact; 52 Mean; 68 Really

HEDGES

112

Speakers are often careful not to sound too blunt and assertive, and a variety of

markers exist to hedge (i.e. to express degrees of assertiveness). A range of

expressions are used in everyday spoken language to downtone the assertiveness

of a segment of discourse. These include:

A: I just turned round to her and said ‘Let me use your phone.’ It wasn’t

aggressive. I wasn’t violent. 

B: Well apparently you snatched the phone off the lady. 

A: No I didn’t.

apparently

arguably

by any chance

I think

just (about)

kind of

like

maybe

perhaps

presumably

probably

roughly

sort of

surely