Conversational

Structure

Shabrina Nur Husna 0203517063

Eli Sadora 0203518082
Main Points of Conversational
Structure
● To keep the flow of conversation going.
● Describes how the interactants negotiate the exchange of
meanings in dialogue.

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Conversation
According to Brown and Yule (1983) there are two main forms of conversation:
 
● transactional – spoken language used to obtain goods or services – also referred
to as service encounters;

● interactional – spoken language used to allow people to interact with each other
– which features a phatic use of language whose purpose is to establish an
atmosphere and allow people to socialise.

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Cont.
● Openings
○ Initiating exchanges that establish social relations

● Middle
○ Topic negotiation and development
○ Turn taking mechanics
○ Feedback

● Closings
○ Pre-closing exchanges
○ Closings
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Transition Relevance Place (TRP)

● A set of rules apply in quick succession so that turns are

allocated instantly:
1. Current speaker selects next speaker;
2. Next speaker self-selects;
3. Current speaker continues.

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 Conversational Structure
Turn-taking
● A process by which interactants allocate the right or obligation to
participate in an interactional activity. (Sacks, Schegloff, & Jefferson,
1974)
● The participants in a conversation are expected to express their
utterances (phrases, sentences, or parts of either) during their turns.
● Turn order is not fixed, but varies.
● Number of parties can vary.

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Cont.
● Talk can be continuous or discontinuous.
● The basic pattern: ‘I speak – you speak – I speak –you speak’.

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Silence
1. Gap: when the speaker stops talking without selecting the next speaker
so there is a silence until a new participant self selects
● Example:
1 Graeme: seems strange to me.
2  (1.5)
3 Brian : I wouldn’t have thought so.

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Cont.
2. Lapse: when the current speaker stops talking, does not select a next
speaker, and no one self selects causing the conversation to end even if for
just a moment.
3. Pause: the speaker selects the next person, but that person is silent
creating a pause or silence that "belongs" to them.
1 Sanjeev: I just didn’t realize it was
2           coming up that quickly.
3 Carol : mm
4           (4.5)
5 Sanjeev: well (…) we’re going to Susan’s for dinner.
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Overlap
● Happen when both speakers speaking at the same time (attempt to
initiate talk).
● Usually one drops out.

Backchannel
 Provides support/response for the speaker in the form of short
utterances.

 ‘uh-huh’
 ‘yeah’
 ‘I see’
 etc.
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Adjacency Pairs
● Adjacency pairs is a unit of conversation that contains an exchange of
one turn each by two speakers.
● The turns are functionally related to each other that the first turn
requires a certain type or range of types of second turn.
● There are lots of examples of adjacency pairs including Questions-
Answers, Offer-Acceptance/Refusal and Compliment-Response.
(Schegloff & Sacks:1973)

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 Examples
● Call/beckon – response
● Complaint – excuse
● Compliment – acceptance/refusal
● Inform – acknowledge
● Greeting – greeting
● Offer - acceptance/refusal
● Question – answer
●
Request – accept/reject
● “Waiter!” – “Yes, sir”
● “It’s awfully cold in here” – “ oh, sorry, I’ll close the
window”
● “I really like your new haircut!” – “oh, thanks”
● “your phone is over there” – “I know”
● “Hi” – “oh, hi”
● “Shall we go to the movie?” – “ I’d love to”
● “what does this big red button do?” – “ it causes two-
thirds of the universe to implode”
● “is it OK if I borrow this book?” – “I’d rather
you didn’t, it’s due back at the library
tomorrow
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Functions of Adjacency Pairs
● Adjacency pairs are used for starting and closing a conversation;
● Adjacency pairs are used for moves in conversations;
● First utterance in adjacency pair has the function of selecting next
speaker;
● Adjacency pairs are used for remedial exchanges;
● Components in adjacency pairs can be used to build longer sequences;

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Cont.
● The most common adjacency pair is the question-answer.
● The level of response varies according to the type of question
used.
● Questions can be divided into closed and open questions.
● ‘Wh-’ questions and ‘how’ questions are generally opened, as
they leave a fairly open agenda for the speaker who answers.
● Closed questions are also called yes-no questions.

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Sequence expansion
1. Pre-expansion: a sequence which includes a turn recognizable as
potential initiation of another specific type of turn.
● Summon is a turn preceding an explanation

A: Mummy. (summon)
B: Yes dear answer
A: I need a hat. (explanation for
summon)

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Cont.
2. Insert expansion: a sequence of turns that intervenes between
the first and second parts of an adjacency pair.

● Customer: I would like a turkey sandwich, please.

Server: White or wholegrain?
Customer: Wholegrain.
Server: Okay.

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Thank You 
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