Discourse markers are words and phrases used in speaking and writing to ‘signpost’ discourse. Discourse markers do this by showing turns, joining ideas together, showing attitude, and generally controlling communication. In speech, words like ‘actually’, ‘so’, ‘OK’, ‘right?’ and ‘anyway’ all function as discourse markers as they help the speaker to manage the conversation and mark when it changes. However, discourse markers are an important feature of both spoken & written English. The skilful use of discourse markers often indicates a higher level of fluency in both spoken and written English. Use of discourse markers are very helpful.
Function:
Discourse markers are expressions that are used to show how discourse is constructed. They can show the connection between what a speaker is saying and what has already been said or what is going to be said; they can help to make clear the structure of what is being said; they can indicate what speakers think about what they are saying or what others have said. There are a very large number of these ‘discourse markers’, and it is impossible to give a complete list. Here are a few of the most common. Some of these words and expressions have more than one use; for more information, look in a good dictionary. Some discourse markers are used mostly in informal speech or writing; others are more common in a formal style. The functions or use of discourse markers are very helpful
Analysis:
Discourse markers form a group of linguistic expressions that are inseparable from discourse and fulfil important functions in spoken and written discourse interpretation. The analysis of discourse markers is a part of the more general analysis of discourse coherence” which is always associated with discourse cohesion. While cohesion is represented by formal linking signals in text, coherence is the underlying relations that hold between the propositions of a text on the one hand, and relations between text and context, on the other hand. Every coherent text has some sort of structure and its communicative purpose. The communicative event which is characterized by a set of communicative purposes” is called a genre. The concept of genre is more effective in representing that theoretical construct which intervenes between language function and language form.
Patterns:
Generally, discourse is divided into two broad units, the spoken and the written. Despite the fact that there is no an absolute dividing line between spoken and written discourse, speech and writing are not interchangeable modes of communication with no distinctive features at all. A number of commonly held views on differences between spoken and written language devised as following:
§ Writing is more structurally complex and elaborate than speech. However, it is argued that speech is no less highly organized, and it has its own kind of complexity.
§ Written discourse tends to be more lexically dense than spoken discourse;
§ Written texts typically include longer noun groups than spoken texts (nominalization);
§ Writing is rather more explicit than speech;
§ Writing is more decontextualized than speech (speech depends on a shared situation whereas writing does not depend on such a shared context);
§ Spoken discourse is often produced spontaneously (it contains more half-completed and reformulated utterances than written discourse);
§
Speaking uses more repetition, hesitation and redundancy than written discourse
(the use of pauses and fillers).
Balancing contrasting points:
These expressions are used to balance two facts or ideas that contrast, but do not contradict each other.
Examples of the Discourse Markers:
ON THE OTHER HAND:
While
Whereas
EMPHASIZING A CONTRAST:
However
nevertheless
mind you
still
yet
in spite of this
CONCESSION:
it is true
of course
certainly
if may
COUNTER-ARGUMENT:
however
even so
but
nevertheless
nonetheless
all the same
still
CHANGE OF SUBJECT
by the way
incidentally
right
all right
now
OK
STRUCTURING
first(ly)
first of all
second(ly)
third(ly)
lastly
finally
to begin with
to start with
in the first/second/third place
for one thing
for another thing
ADDING:
moreover (very formal)
furthermore (formal)
in addition
as well as that
on top of that (informal)
another thing is
what is more
besides
in any case
GENERALIZING:
on the whole
in general in all/most/many/some cases
broadly speaking
by and large
to a great extent
to some extent
apart from
except for
GIVING EXAMPLES
for instance
for example
in particular
SOFTENING AND CORRECTING
I think
I feel
in my view/opinion (formal)
apparently
so to speak
more or less
sort of (informal)
kind of (informal)
well
really
that is to say
at least
I’ m afraid
I suppose
or rather
actually
I mean
GAINING TIME:
let me see
let’s see
well
you know
I don’t know
I mean
kind of
sort of
Summing up
in conclusion
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