They are ordered. The two parts of an adjacency pair are ordered. Except on TV game

Very few conversations do not begin with some type of opening sequence, even as commonplace as the following: Eric: Guess what. Jo: What? Eric: I broke a tooth. Conversationalists also use opening sequences to announce that they are about to invade the personal space of their interlocutors. Here, two friends are talking on a park bench next to a stranger; at a pause in their conversation, the stranger interjects: Stranger: Excuse me, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help hearing that you were talking about Dayton, Ohio. I’m from Dayton. [Conversation then goes on among the three people.] It’s not surprising that opening sequences take the form of an apology in such situations. Finally, opening sequences may serve as a display of one’s voice to enable the inter- locutor to recognize who is speaking, especially at the beginning of telephone conversa- tions. Here, the phone has just rung in Alfred’s apartment. Alfred: Hello? Helen: Hello Alfred: Oh, hi, Helen How you doin’? In the second turn, Helen displays her voice to enable Alfred to recognize her. In the third turn, Alfred indicates his recognition and simultaneously provides the second part of the greeting adjacency pair initiated in the previous turn. Opening Sequences in Other Cultures In many cultures, the opening sequence appro- priate to a situation in which two people meet after not having met for a while is an inquiry about the person’s health, as in the American greeting How are you? Such inquiries are essentially formulaic and not meant literally. Indeed, most speakers respond with a conventional upbeat formula I’m fine or Fine, thanks even when feeling terrible. In other cultures, the conventional greeting may take a different form. Traditionally, Mandarin Chinese conversationalists ask NI chi guo fàn le ma? ‘Have you eaten rice yet?’ When two people meet on a road in Tonga, they ask Ko hoʔo ʔalu ki fe? ‘Where is your going directed to?’ These greetings are as formulaic as How are you? In formal contexts, or when differences of social status exist between participants, many cultures require a lengthy and formulaic opening sequence. In Fiji, when an indi- vidual visits a village, a highly ceremonial introduction is conducted before any other interaction takes place. This event involves speeches that are regulated by a complex set of rules governing what must be said, and when, and by whom. This ceremony serves the same purpose as opening sequences in other cultures. Functions of Opening Sequences A final aspect of opening sequences in which cul- tural differences are found is the relative importance of their various functions. In tele- phone conversations in the United States, opening sequences serve primarily to identify speakers and solicit the interlocutor’s attention. In France, opening sequences for tele- phone conversations normally include an apology for invading someone’s privacy. The Organization of Conversation