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Using Discourse Markers in
American English |
Imagine you are watching an old American movie -- the
crime film “Dirty Harry.”
You have heard that one part of the film is very famous
in American culture.
You watch the scene, which sounds like this:
You go to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky?
Well, do you, punk?
A sudden, strange thought comes to your mind. What is
the purpose of the word well?
You have heard different English speakers use the word
in different ways, but you are not sure what it means.
In our Everyday Grammar report, we will explore the
common adverb well. We will show you how Americans use
it while they are speaking.
Do not fear. Unlike an unexpected meeting with Dirty
Harry, this report will be painless!
What are adverbs?
Adverbs are one of the most difficult subjects in
English grammar. They are difficult because they
represent a large group of words that have different
uses.
In general, the definition of an adverb is this: a word
that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or
a sentence.
Adverbs are often used to show time, place or a way of
doing things. They can also show a degree or measurement
of something.
Consider the sentence, "I really like English grammar."
The adverb really changes the meaning of the verb like.
The adverb really increases the force of the statement.
There are also sentence adverbs. They limit or describe
the meaning of an entire statement.
Sentence adverbs also provide more information about the
sentence. These are sometimes called conjunctive adverbs
or discourse markers. Regardless of the name you choose
to call them, the purpose is the same: They connect
sentences in the same way coordinating conjunctions do,
but they provide a different kind of information.
Here is an example.
Let’s consider the statement:
"I love English; however, I do not love English
grammar!"
The word however is a conjunctive adverb that shows a
contrast or comparison is coming.
You can read more about words like these in an earlier
Everyday Grammar story called "Contrast and Concession."
The case of "well"
Today we are considering common conjunctive adverbs, or
discourse markers, and how they are used in
everyday-speech.
Let’s go back to the word well. As you heard at the
beginning of today's program, well can have a few
different uses.
1. Well indicates contrast or
disagreement
The first use is to show a contrast or even a
disagreement. Consider this line from the ending of the
American film “Some Like It Hot.”
"You don't understand, Osgood! I'm a man."
"Well, nobody's perfect..."
Here, the speaker uses well to show that a contrast is
coming.
The first speaker, the actor Jack Lemmon, expects the
second person to become angry when he states he is not a
woman, but a man.
But Osgood reacts in an unexpected, or contrasting way.
He does not act surprised at all!
2. Wells shows uncertainty
The second use of well is to show uncertainty,
especially in answers.
Consider this exchange between two friends.
"Do you mind if I borrow five dollars?
Well, I'm not sure if I have any money with me..."
In this example, the second speaker is a little slow in
responding. The word well shows that she is not sure if
she has the money. Or, maybe she knows she has five
dollars, but she does not want to say so.
Whatever the case, the point is that well serves as a
word that shows movement between the question and the
answer. This transition shows that there is some
uncertainty.
3. To show a conversation is
ending
The third common use of well is to show a transition to
the end of a conversation.
Consider this example. Imagine you are in a business
meeting, and your boss makes the following statement:
"Well, this meeting has been very productive."
In this case, the word well is showing a transition to
the end of the meeting. Your boss is showing that he
wants the meeting to end soon.
In American culture, this is considered a careful,
indirect way to end a conversation.
However, if a speaker directs your attention to the word
"well," then the meaning changes. The statement can take
on an angry, tense sound.
Consider the difference between these two statements:
"Well, this meeting has been very productive."
"WELL, this meeting has been very productive."
The first statement is a respectful way to end a
meeting.
The second statement is a tense, perhaps angry way to
bring a meeting to an end. If you heard the second
statement in a business meeting, then you should know
that something is wrong!
Do you understand the uses of
well?
Think back to the movie scene you heard at the beginning
of this report. Now that you have learned about the word
well, consider what Dirty Harry might have meant.
Like any good crime film, we end with a few questions.
What do you think Dirty Harry meant when he said well?
Does he use it in a way that has the same meaning as the
uses of well we have discussed, or does he use it in a
different way?
Well, I guess that is all for today's program. Until
next time!
I'm John Russell.
And I'm Alice Bryant.
John Russell wrote this story for Learning English.
George Grow was the editor. |
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Words in This Story |
- scene
– n. a part of a play,
movie, story, etc., in which a particular action or
activity occurs
- adverb
– n. a word that
describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a
sentence and that is often used to show time,
manner, place, or degree
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conjunctive adverb – n.
a conjunction that connects two sentences with an
adverbial emphasis
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coordinating conjunction –
n. a conjunction (such
as and, or, or but) that joins together words,
phrases, or clauses of equal importance
- contrast
– n. to be different
especially in a way that is very obvious
-
uncertainty – n.
the quality or state of being uncertain
- degree
– n. a step in a
process or order of classification
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regardless – adv.
without being stopped by difficulty or trouble
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transition – n.
passage from one subject or place to another
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