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Pragmatic Markers in British English

Meaning in Social Interaction

Kate Beeching

Book DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139507110

Online ISBN: 9781139507110

Hardback ISBN: 9781107032767

Chapter

Appendix B pp. 231-233

Chapter DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139507110.012

Cambridge University Press

Appendix B Questionnaire about well, just, you know,
I mean, like and sort of

I am: Male/Female
18–25; 26–40; 41–65 66+ years old

1. well
Read the following exchange and think about the difference between the response
with well and the response without well. Do you feel more positively disposed
towards Speaker B or Speaker C? What difference does using well make?

speaker a: Could you help me with my maths tomorrow morning?

speaker b: I have to take Cindy to nursery school.
speaker c: Well, I have to take Cindy to nursery school.

Compared with Speaker B (without well), Speaker C is more:

polite 1 2 3 4 5 impolite
direct 1 2 3 4 5 indirect
educated 1 2 3 4 5 not educated
friendly 1 2 3 4 5 unfriendly

2. just
Read the following exchange and think about the difference between the
response with just and the response without just. Do you feel more positively
disposed towards Speaker B or Speaker C? What difference does using just
make?

speaker a: Why don’t you want to come too?

speaker b: I think you should go on your own.
speaker c: I just think you should go on your own.

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232 Appendix B

Compared with Speaker B (without just), Speaker C is more:

polite 1 2 3 4 5 impolite
direct 1 2 3 4 5 indirect
educated 1 2 3 4 5 not educated
friendly 1 2 3 4 5 unfriendly

3. you know
Read the following and think about the difference between the statement with
you know and the one without you know. Do you feel more positively disposed
towards Speaker A or Speaker B? What difference does using you know
make?

speaker a: They obviously thought he was a bit stupid.

speaker b: They obviously thought he was a bit stupid, you know.

Compared with Speaker A (without you know), Speaker B is more:

polite 1 2 3 4 5 impolite
direct 1 2 3 4 5 indirect
educated 1 2 3 4 5 not educated
friendly 1 2 3 4 5 unfriendly

4. I mean
Read the following exchange and think about the difference between the
response with I mean and the one without I mean. Do you feel more positively
disposed towards Speaker B or Speaker C? What difference does using I mean
make?

a: I want to earn money so as not to be dependent on my parents.

b: Yeah sure but you can work for money during the year.
c: Yeah sure but I mean you can work for money during the year.

Compared with Speaker B (without I mean), Speaker C is more:

polite 1 2 3 4 5 impolite
direct 1 2 3 4 5 indirect
educated 1 2 3 4 5 not educated
friendly 1 2 3 4 5 unfriendly

Downloaded from Cambridge Books Online by IP 157.181.88.58 on Tue Mar 15 11:12:28 GMT 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139507110.012
Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2016
 Appendix B 233

5. like
Read the following and think about the difference between the statement with
like and the one without like. Do you feel more positively disposed towards
Speaker A or Speaker B? What difference does using like make?

speaker a: It was 20 minutes’ walk away.

speaker b: It was like 20 minutes’ walk away.

Compared with Speaker A (without like), Speaker B is more:

polite 1 2 3 4 5 impolite
direct 1 2 3 4 5 indirect
educated 1 2 3 4 5 not educated
friendly 1 2 3 4 5 unfriendly

6. sort of
Read the following and think about the difference between the statement with
sort of and the one without sort of. Do you feel more positively disposed
towards Speaker A or Speaker B? What difference does using sort of make?

speaker a: It was blustery so we didn’t go out.

speaker b: It was sort of blustery so we didn’t go out.

Compared with Speaker A (without sort of), Speaker B is more:

polite 1 2 3 4 5 impolite
direct 1 2 3 4 5 indirect
educated 1 2 3 4 5 not educated
friendly 1 2 3 4 5 unfriendly

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139507110.012
Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2016