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Table 9 shows that engage means to show the willingness to interact. The example of engaging is answering the salutation. When a hearer responds to
someone’s greeting, it means that he chooses engage speech function. Then when he wants to show his attention as the response to someone’s speech, he chooses
register move. For the complete explanation, see Eggins and Slade,1997: 204 – 208.
2.2.2.3 Reacting Speech Functions: rejoinder
Rejoinder moves are moves to set underway sequences of talk that interrupt, postpone, abort, or suspend the initial speech function sequence. Rejoinder moves
do not only negotiate what is already on the table but also give further explanation or demanding further details.
There are two sub classes of rejoinders; tracking and challenging. Tracking moves are supporting in the sense of delaying anticipated exchange completion
without indicating disagreement with it. There are four types of tracking; checking, confirming, clarifying, and probing moves. Whereas challenging
confronts prior talk by detaching, rebounding,and countering.
Table 2.10Summary of Sustaining Rejoinder Speech Function
Speech function
Discourse purpose Congruent mood
check To elicit repetition of a misheard
element of move Elliptical polar interrogative
confirm To verify information heard
Elliptical wh-interrogative;
whelement from prior move clarify
To get additional information needed to understand prior move
Elliptical wh-interrogative; whnew element not in prior
move Probe
To volunteer further details implications for confirmation
Full clause, new subject, etc. but in logico-semantic relation with
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the moves it’s tracking or tagged declarative
Resolve To provide clarification, acquiesce
with information Elliptical declarative; mood
adjunct of polarity and modality. detach To
terminate interaction
Silence; expression of termination
Rebound To question relevance, legitimacy,
veracity of prior move. Wh-interrogative, elliptical
Counter To dismiss addressee’s right to hishe
position Non-elliptical declarative;
negation of understandingrightness
Refute To contradict import of a challenge
Elliptical declarative; negation Re-
challenge To offer alternative position
Elliptical interrogative
Eggins and Slade, 1997: 213 When someone can’t hear what his interaction partner has said, he can
choose checking speech function by using elliptical polar interrogative. Confirming and clarifying moves are not similar to one another. When he only
needs to verify the information, he chooses confirming move. However, when he needs more information to understand prior move, he chooses clarifying move.
For the complete explanation, see Eggins and Slade, 1997: 209 – 213.
2.2.3 Speech Function Network
