‘… that's actually sort of you know trying to get consultants in …’: Functions and multifunctionality of modifiers in academic lectures

Abstract

This corpus-based study explores the way pragmatic force modifiers ( Nikula, 1996) are employed to achieve multiple functions (ideational, interpersonal and textual) in the British Academic Spoken English (BASE) lecture corpus. The term pragmatic force modifier (PFM) refers to linguistic devices such as actually, sort of, or you know that can be used to strengthen or weaken the force with which propositions are expressed while at the same time realising manifold social pragmatic purposes. Despite their high frequency of occurrences, discussion about these modifiers in the lecture setting appears to be rare in the literature. This study accounts for the functions of PFMs with reference to relevant contextual features and pinpoints functional variations associated with this particular genre. Attention is focused on the way in which one PFM could perform multiple functions, and multiple PFMs with an emphatic or softening effect could contribute to the same functions. Additionally, examining the interplay among various PFMs in a broader co-text improves our understanding of properties that have been overlooked in earlier treatment of modifiers separately. The study finds genre-defined functions and multifunctionality of PFMs in lectures, so there is no definite correlation between forms and functions; for instance, both intensifiers and softeners are associated with positive politeness and the formation of effective argumentation patterns. This approach may benefit the practical analysis of PFMs in other genres.