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7 Take this sugar for you. imperative- incongruent
8 There is some sugar for you. declarative- incongruent
Analyzing speech functions in detail is needed. The reason is because it can make the subtle analysis from the data we get. Without a delicate speech function
system, the analysis of conversation will not be satisfactory. Eggins and Slade 1997: 191 elaborate the speech functions classes into
opening, sustaining, responding and rejoinder speech functions. Opening functions to initiate talk, whereas sustaining functions to allow either the current
speaker to keep talking or for another interactant to take over the speaker role. Next, responding means reactions which move the exchange towards completion,
while rejoinders are reactions which in some way prolong the exchange. Eggins and Slade call the speech functions and their sub classes as a speech
function network. By analyzing the delicate speech function network, role relation among the interactants in conversation can be completely captured. The power
relation among the interactants an also be interpreted from the analysis of dominant speech function made by them.
2.2.1 Opening Speech Function
In starting conversation, people make an opening speech function. Opening functions to initiate a sequence of talk. It indicates the claim to a degree of control
the interaction. Let’s observe Table 7:
Table 2.7 Speech Function Labels for Opening Moves
Speech Function
Discourse purpose Congruent mood
Example
attending Attention seeking
Minor, formulaic Hey, David
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offer give goods and services
Modulated interrogative
Would you like some more wine?
command Demand goods and
services imperative Look
Statement: fact
Give factual information Full declarative; no
modality; no appraisal
You met his sister. Statement:
opinion Give individual
evaluative information Full declarative;
modality andor appraising lexis
This conversation needs Allenby.
Question: open: fact
Demand factual information
Wh-interrogative; no modality; no
appraisal What’s Allenby
doing these days?
Question: closed: fact
Demand confirmation agreement with factual
information Polar interrogative;
no modality; no appraisal
Is Allenby living in Lodon?
Question: open: opinion
Demand opinion information
Wh-interrogative; modality appraisal
What do we need here?
Question: closed:
opinion Demand agreement with
opinion information Polar interrogative;
modality appraisal Do we need
Allenby in this conversation?
Eggins and Slade, 1997: 194 There are two kinds of opening; attending and initiating. Someone’s call,
greeting, or all of which to get the hearer’s attention, are called them as attending. Whereas initiating goes to the main course of interaction; giving and demanding
exchanging goods, services or information as the commodities. Demanding information or questioning can be both in the form of open or
closed question. Open questions means questions which seek to elicit completion of a proposition from the addressee. Those are usually realized by wh-
interrogatives. Closed questions present a complete proposition for the support or confrontation of the addressee which are realized by polar interrogatives.
Giving or demanding information can be classified into fact and opinion. The difference between them is the use of either expressions of modality or
appraisal lexis in opinion. Those lead to different types of exchanges, and genres,
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with opinion exchanges generating arguments, while fact exchanges often remain brief or develop into story-text.
2.2.2 Sustaining Speech Function
