Chapter 1 The Present State of Research on Discourse Markers 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Discourse Markers in Previous Studies 1
1.2.1 Diversity in Terminology and Definition 1
1.2.2 Theoretical Approaches 4
1.2.2.1 Pragmatic Perspective 4
1.2.2.2 Relevance Theoretic Approach 5
1.2.2.3 Coherence-based Functional Approach 7
1.2.2.4 Aijmer's Functional Perspective 10
1.2.2.5 Diachronic Approach 11
1.2.3 Functional Domains of Discourse Markers 13
1.3 Overview of the Current Study 15
1.3.1 A Corpus-linguistic Approach 15
1.3.2 The Corpus Used in This Research 16
1.3.3 Outline of This Study 18
1.3.4 Significance of This Study 21
Chapter 2 Conceptual Background of the Current Study 23
2.1 Introduction 23
2.2 Sentence Adverbial 24
2.2.1 Features of Sentence Adverbials 25
2.2.2 Syntactic Realizations of Sentence Adverbials 25
2.2.3 Functions of Sentence Adverbials 26
2.2.3.1 Marking the Speaker's Epistemic Stance 27
2.2.3.2 Expressing the Speaker's Attitude and Evaluation 28
2.2.3.3 Commenting on the Style or Manner of Speaking 29
2.3 Comment Clause 31
2.3.1 Features of Comment Clauses 32
2.3.2 Categories of Comment Clauses 32
2.3.3 Functions of Comment Clauses 33
2.3.3.1 Expressing the Speaker's Doubt or Certainty 34
2.3.3.2 Expressing the Speaker's Attitude and Evaluation 34
2.3.3.3 Conveying Comments on the Manner of Speaking 36
2.3.4 Non-clausal Sentence Adverbial and Comment Clause 36
2.4 Discourse Marker 37
2.4.1 Features of Discourse Markers 37
2.4.2 Categories of Discourse Markers 38
2.4.3 Functions of Discourse Markers 38
2.4.3.1 Textual Functions 38
2.4.3.2 Interpersonal Functions 40
2.5 Sentence Adverbial,Comment Clause and Discourse Marker 41
2.6 Discourse Markers and Grammaticalization 43
2.6.1 Introduction 43
2.6.2 Development of Discourse Markers 45
2.6.2.1 Semantic-pragmatic Changes 45
2.6.2.2 Syntactic Reanalysis 46
2.6.3 Are Discourse Markers an Example of Grammaticalization? 51
2.6.3.1 Features Typical of Grammaticalization 52
2.6.3.2 Principles of Grammaticalization 53
Chapter 3 Actually:From a Phrase Adverbial to a Discourse Marker 55
3.1 Introduction 55
3.2 Phrase Adverbial 57
3.2.1 Emphasizer 57
3.2.2 Intensifier 58
3.3 Sentence Adverbial 60
3.3.1 Going beyond Conventionally Formed Expectations 60
3.3.2 Conflicting with Textually Based Expectations 61
3.4 Discourse Marker 63
3.4.1 Textual Functions 63
3.4.1.1 Marker of Contradiction 63
3.4.1.2 Marker of Elaboration 65
3.4.1.3 Marker of Topic Shift 68
3.4.2 Interpersonal Functions 70
3.4.2.1 Softening the Contradiction 70
3.4.2.2 Mitigating the Abruptness 71
3.5 Development of Actually 72
3.6 Conclusion 73
Chapter 4 (A)Kind of:From a Noun Phrase to a Discourse Marker 74
4.1 Introduction 74
4.2 A Kind of as a Noun-preposition Sequence 76
4.2.1 A Noun Phrase Meaning a Type of 76
4.2.2 A Nominal Premodifier Signaling Fuzziness 77
4.3 (A)Kind ofas a Metalinguistic Hedge 79
4.3.1 Imprecision Signal 79
4.3.2 Special-style Signal 83
4.4 (A)Kind of as a Discourse Marker 85
4.4.1 Interpersonal Function 85
4.4.1.1 Mitigating the Assertive Force 86
4.4.1.2 Appealing to Common Ground 89
4.4.2 Textual Function 91
4.5 Variants of Kind of 93
4.6 Development of(a)Kind of 95
4.7 Conclusion 98
Chapter 5 The Thingis:A Discourse Marker Originating from a Matrix Clause 99
5.1 Introduction 99
5.2 Identifying the Relevant Item 101
5.2.1 Non-parenthetical the Thing is 103
5.2.2 Parenthetical the Thing is 103
5.2.3 Structurally Indeterminate the Thing is 104
5.3 Functions of Parenthetical the Thing is 105
5.3.1 Comment Clause Use 105
5.3.2 Discourse Marker Use 107
5.3.2.1 Marker of Justification 107
5.3.2.2 Marker of Contradiction 108
5.3.2.3 Marker of Topic Shift 109
5.3.2.4 Hesitation Filler 111
5.4 Thing is 113
5.5 Development of the Thing is 114
5.6 Conclusion 117
Chapter 6 You Know What:A Discourse Marker Originating from a Full Interrogative 118
6.1 Introduction 118
6.2 Identifying the Relevant Item 121
6.2.1 Non-parenthetical You Know What 121
6.2.1.1 Proposition-deleted Interrogative 121
6.2.1.2 Deictic Use of You Know What 123
6.2.2 Parenthetical You Know What 124
6.3 Functions of Parenthetical You Know What 124
6.3.1 Comment Clause Use 125
6.3.2 Discourse Marker Use 126
6.3.2.1 Boundary Marker 126
6.3.2.2 Marker of Justification 128
6.3.2.3 Marker of Elaboration 129
6.3.2.4 Marker of Topic Shift 131
6.3.2.5 Hesitation Filler 133
6.4 Development of You Know What 134
6.4.1 Full Interrogative 134
6.4.2 Rhetorical Interrogative 135
6.4.3 Proposition-deleted Rhetorical Interrogative 136
6.4.4 Comment Clause 137
6.4.5 Discourse Marker 137
6.5 Conclusion 138
Chapter 7 Different Discourse Markers Used as Hesitation Fillers 140
7.1 Introduction 140
7.2 Differences between Different Discourse Markers 140
7.3 Conclusion 145
Chapter 8 Conclusion 147
8.1 Main Findings of This Study 147
8.2 Reformulation of the Related Dictionary Entries 148
8.2.1 Actually 149
8.2.2 (A)Kind of 150
8.2.3 The Thing is 151
8.2.4 You Know What 152
8.3 Influence of This Research on English Education in China 154
8.4 Directions of Further Research 154
Bibliography 157