Background:
Spoken grammar and interpersonal communication
Spoken language is most commonly an interactive, face-to-face process. Meanings are often created by referring to shared knowledge or by an understanding based on context or because what is referred to is physically and visually present before the speakers. Many items and structures in spoken grammar, therefore, reflect the interpersonal dimension rather than the content of the message. They are outlined here and dealt with in detail in the chapters and sections referred to.
Deictic expressions such as in here, over there, that one, this here, right now, then are common. Situational ellipsis (e.g. someone asking someone: Finished?) is common because points of reference are often obvious to participants. Speakers also perform regular checks that understanding is shared and they work hard to provide orientation for listeners and engage them by means of headers, tails and tags. Discourse markers also play a vital part in maintaining a listener’s involvement.
In informal, face-to-face conversations speakers are often careful not to sound too assertive or direct; normally they do not wish to seem impolite to their listeners. They are also careful not to sound over-precise, which might be taken to be threatening or pedantic. Consequently, polite forms and indirect language, purposefully vague language and approximations are much in evidence and in ways which would be unusual in most written contexts.
Source: The Cambridge Grammar of English
Spoken grammar and interpersonal communication
Spoken language is most commonly an interactive, face-to-face process. Meanings are often created by referring to shared knowledge or by an understanding based on context or because what is referred to is physically and visually present before the speakers. Many items and structures in spoken grammar, therefore, reflect the interpersonal dimension rather than the content of the message. They are outlined here and dealt with in detail in the chapters and sections referred to.
Deictic expressions such as in here, over there, that one, this here, right now, then are common. Situational ellipsis (e.g. someone asking someone: Finished?) is common because points of reference are often obvious to participants. Speakers also perform regular checks that understanding is shared and they work hard to provide orientation for listeners and engage them by means of headers, tails and tags. Discourse markers also play a vital part in maintaining a listener’s involvement.
In informal, face-to-face conversations speakers are often careful not to sound too assertive or direct; normally they do not wish to seem impolite to their listeners. They are also careful not to sound over-precise, which might be taken to be threatening or pedantic. Consequently, polite forms and indirect language, purposefully vague language and approximations are much in evidence and in ways which would be unusual in most written contexts.
Source: The Cambridge Grammar of English