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

DISCOURSE MARKING IN RESPONSES 

110

Discourse markers are an important resource for listeners to indicate their

involvement with what is being said and to manage their own responses. 

(All) right

can be used to indicate positive responses and to signal agreement to

a proposed action:

A: I think we should go to the garden centre first.

B: Right, that’s fine by me.

Response tokens such as (all) right, I see, good, great, fine and okay show that the

listener is receiving the message and is at the same time channelling back support

so to speak

strictly speaking

that’s to say

to put it another way

to put it bluntly/

mildly

well

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539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

From discourse to social contexts | 221

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for what the speaker is saying. The response token can simultaneously signal

boundaries in the discourse and send back signals of sociability. Such markers are

a sign of active and cooperative listening:

A: So first of all, we have to meet Kulvinder cos she’s got the car.

B: I see.

A: Then we’ll pick up Sue.

B: Right.

A: So we’ll come round to your place around seven.

B: Okay, I see, right, thanks a lot.

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also 95, Response tokens

A–Z

69 Right, rightly