The Sequencing of Contrastive Discourse Markers in English

Authors

  • Bruce Fraser University of Boston

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22364/BJELLC.01.2011.04

Keywords:

discourse markers, contrastive discourse markers, sequence of discourse markers

Abstract

This paper examines an understudied area of pragmatic research, namely, the sequencing of Discourse Markers (DMs). Looking only at the sequencing of Contrastive Discourse Markers (CDMs), thereby excluding both Elaborative and Inferential Discourse Markers, it is shown that only “but” may occur as the first with all of the other CDMs, e.g., “But, on the other hand…,” with “yet” occurring first with a small subset. The rest of the CDMs are relegated to second place in a sequence with the exception of “however.” The sequencing of CDMs adds support to the claim that “but” has more than a single use, the evidence showing both a direct contrast use and a contradiction and elimination use, depending on which CDM it is paired with.

References

Blakemore, D. (2002) Relevance and Linguistic Meaning: The Semantics and Pragmatics of Discourse Meaning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511486456

Fraser, B. (2010a). An account of discourse markers. International Review of Pragmatics, 1(2): 293-320. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/187730909X12538045489818

Fraser, B. (2010b). The DM instead in English. Manuscript.

Oates, S. (2001). Multiple Discourse Marker Occurrence: Creating Hierarchies for Natural Language Generation. Unpublished MA Theses. University of Brighton.

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Published

2011-11-01

How to Cite

Fraser, B. (2011). The Sequencing of Contrastive Discourse Markers in English. Baltic Journal of English Language, Literature and Culture, 1, 29–35. https://doi.org/10.22364/BJELLC.01.2011.04