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1. Interrogative ah
Interrogative ah has a role in strengthening the interrogative sentence. The rising tone marks particle ah has a role as the interrogative ah. In Ah Boys to Man
movies, the researcher found that there were 19 occurrences of interrogative ah. The examples of interrogative ah in the Ah Boys to Man movies are as follows:
Example 1
Setting : in the section bunk
Aloysius offers help to IP Man Aloysius
: Buddy, I will get my mom to go to your girlfriend‟s place and talk to her all right.
IP Man : Your mother can help ah?
Aloysius : Sure, she is very free.
Example 1 shows the condition that IP Man has a problem related to his girlfriend. His girlfriend leaves him for another man during the BMT Basic
Military Training. As his section mates, Aloysius offers IP Man a help by asking his mother to go to IP Man‟s girl‟s place. IP Man ensures that Aloysius‟ mother
can help him by asking, “Your mother can help ah?” IP man uses rising tone at
the end of the sentence to mark particle ah in his sentence as interrogative ah.
Example 2
Setting : in the section bunk
Platoon Sergeants come to the section bunk for the first time to check the recruits
Sergeant Ong : Wah, why there is many thing in your bed ah? Opening
previous shop ah?
Lobang : No lah platoon sergeant
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Example 2 shows that Sergeant Ong is surprised when he noticed many things in
Lobang‟s bed. Lobang brings many snacks and other stuff from his home. In the Army NS, the recruit‟s bed is supposed to be clean and neat. In
example 2, Sergeant Ong asks Lobang twice. The first is using wh-question, and the second is using yesno question. Both of them use the rising tone that proves
particle ah aimed as the interrogative ah.
2. Declarative ah
Declarative ah occurs in the declarative sentence. Usually, it occurs at the end of the declarative sentence or phrase. It is used to strengthen the declarative
sentence. In Ah Boys to Man 1 and 2, there are 31 occurrences of declarative ah.
Example 3
Setting : The recruits‟ family including Ken‟s family accompany the
recruits to go to Pulau Tekong for the first time.
Ken‟s Mom : Waa, so big ah, like a hotel resort like that hah.
E xample 3 above shows Ken‟s mother amazement of Pulau Tekong. She
declares that Pulau Tekong is so big. She uses declarative ah to strengthen her declaration of the big Pulau Tekong.
Example 4
Setting : Aloysius had already shared his secret of running fast to his
section mates in front of the Platoon Sergeant and Captain. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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Aloysius : Lobang
, please do not use the vulgarities on me okay? I didn‟t do anything wrong. What you want me to say? I really don‟t know
anything what. Ismail
: You don‟t know what happened? Eh everybody know your
pattern ah.
In example 4, the situation shows that Ken‟s section mates are blaming
Aloysius because Aloysius shares his secrets of running fast. The secret is that he never smokes. Sergeant Ong agrees with
Aloysius‟s opinion that quits smoke can increase the stamina. Thus, Sergeant Ong reduces the quota of cigarettes for each
smoker. The smokers complain and blame Aloysius for sharing his secret. In his sentence, Ismail uses particle, ah to strengthen his declaration that actually
everybody knows Aloysius‟ behavior.
3. Imperative ah