SUMMARY ELICIT:CONFIRM

The second subcategory is alicitations which invite the adressee to confirm the speakers
assumption. It can be relized by tag interogatives (both refersed polarity tags and copy tags),
declaratives, positive and negative polar interrogatives. The following arrowed utterences
are all instences of elicit : confirm.
39. (C;4;14)
> S: // p i THINK you did that THIS year// r + DIDn’t you//
G: Oh yeah.
40. (B:B:A:1:2)
> F: // p JOHN would know // r + WOULD he //
H: Yeah, john would know.
In 39 and 40 the rising tag invites the adressiee to confirm the speakers assumption.

41. (B:E:A:4:3)
> X : // p These ARE students in the ENGlish departement //
H : Thats right, they’re all English majors.
42. (B:D:A:1:2)
> C : // p the WHITE building // r + where they have the psyCHOlogy departement and
everything//
D : Psycho , law, you name it, oh they are all in there.
In 41 and 42 are declarative in form, with the former spoken with a falling tone (p) and the
latter in rising tone (r+). If it were vice versa, (41) would relize the function of giving
information and (42) would relize the function of seeking confirmation that the adressee
knows which building the speaker is referring to.

43. (B:F:A:1:3)
> E : // p DIDn’t ah // r YEVtuSHENko // r+ write a POem about that //
F : Yeah, thats right.
In (43) is a negative polar interrogative, according to ‘negative questions’ have a negative
orientation they are biased towards a negative answear. It prospects a positive response
confirming the speakers assumption thqt Yevtushenko did write a poem. For example, if A,
upon seeing B still in bed at eleven in the morning. Says ‘Dont you have lectures today?’
than the expected answear to answear ghe utterance is obiviusly negative. A positive
answear would be contrary to the expectation.