Retrieving talk from the simple past and the present progressive on alternative radio

Abstract

The paper focuses on the interplay of grammatical forms and interaction. A host on a radio call-in show engages in various social actions such as agreement, disagreement, topic shift, and topic continuity. As he communicates these actions, the host re-formulates prior talk using the attributive verb in the simple past and present progressive tense. The choice of tense correlates closely with the type of action the host conveys. Hence the host treats tense as a social tool rather than to mark temporal events. This study argues that a study of linguistic form should include an analysis of pragmatic function in interactional practices.