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

Topics: focusing attention, diverting, shifting, resuming

108d

Focusing attention

Attention or focus can be directed to a topic or to a phase of the talk by a number

of discourse markers. Common examples are now, hey, ah, oh and imperative

verb forms (look, listen, just think, remember). The main function is to focus the

attention of the listener on what the speaker feels is important:

Hey, I wanted to ask you something. What was it?

Listen, we’ve been talking about this for ages. We need a decision.

218 | From discourse to social contexts

Cambridge Grammar of English

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[discussing earrings which speaker B wants speaker A to wear at B’s wedding]

A: No. I don’t like them. 

B: You’re going to wear them. 

A: No I’m not. 

B: Yes you are. 

A: Sam please. 

B: Look it’s our wedding. 

A: Look. [sighs] Please will you just humour me? I’ve had a terrible day. 

B: Oh. And I haven’t?

A: Do you know what time I had to get up this morning? Six o’clock. 

Diverting

Oh

often indicates that the speaker is about to create an unexpected diversion in

the conversation:

The + sign indicates an interrupted turn which continues at the next + sign

A: So you get the prestige of working for the University of Bristol with living in

the country in a nice big open environment which is+ 

B: Yeah. 

A: +more appealing when you’re a bit older isn’t it? 

B: Suppose so. 

A: That’s my theory anyway. 

B: Never really thought about it like that. Oh I forgot. Your washing’s up there.

Sorry just noticed it. 

A: Oh you’ve not even put it out or anything. 

B: Sorry, I forgot about it. 

The = sign indicates an utterance which is cut short

A: Anyway he’s not that much younger. I mean he’s older than Mark and Mike.

But erm he’s erm= 

B: Oh what’s Mark’s other name? 

A: Hubbard. 

B: Hubbard. 

A–Z

57 Oh

Shifting

Well

most typically signals a shift in the projected or expected direction of the

discourse, or a response which might not have been anticipated by the 

speaker:

A: Did you enjoy the film? 

B: Well, we enjoyed the first half but after that I’m not sure.

(yes-no question, but B feels the question cannot be answered by just yes

or no)

A: What do we do about the traffic?

B: Well, how about leaving earlier so we miss the worst of it?

(against the anticipation that the question represented a serious 

problem)