They are contiguous. The two parts of an adjacency pair are contiguous and are

Fiona: I think Ralph’s a pretty good writer. Kieran: Well, his imagery’s interesting, but apart from that I don’t think he writes well at all. Dispreferred second parts tend to be preceded by a pause and to begin with a hesita- tion particle such as well or uh. Preferred second parts tend to follow the first part with- out a pause and to consist of structurally simple utterances. Michelle: Wanna meet for lunch tomorrow? Michael: Sure Michelle: Would you like to meet for lunch tomorrow? Michael: Well, um . . . tomorrow’s the 24th, right? I told Lori I’d have lunch with her tomorrow. And it’s her birthday, so I can’t cancel. How ’bout Wednesday? In addition, even dispreferred second parts often begin with a token agreement or accep- tance, or with an expression of appreciation or apology, and characteristically include an explanation. Wade: Can I use your phone? Frank: Oh, I’m sorry, but I’m expecting an important long-distance call. Could you wait a bit? Try It Yourself: To an apology, a preferred second part is an acceptance, while a dispreferred second part is a refusal to accept it. For each of these speech acts, name one preferred second part and one dispreferred: request for information; invitation to a party; greeting; accusation; offer of congratulations; assessment. Opening Sequences Conversations are opened in socially recognized ways. Before beginning their first con- versation of the day, conversationalists normally greet each other, as when two office workers meet in the morning. Jeff: Mornin’, Stan Stan: Hi. How’s it goin’? Jeff: Oh, can’t complain, I guess. Ready for the meeting this afternoon? Stan: Well, I don’t have much choice Greetings exemplify opening sequences, utterances that ease people into a conversation. They convey the message “I want to talk to you.” Greetings are usually reserved for acquaintances who have not seen each other for a while, or as opening sequences for longer conversations between strangers. Some situa- tions do not require a greeting, as with a stranger approaching in the street to ask for the time: Excuse me, sir, do you know what time it is? The expression Excuse me, sir serves as an opening sequence appropriate to the context. Thus, greetings are not the only type of opening sequences. 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