Description
General Extenders: The Forms and Functions of a New Linguistic Category provides a comprehensive analysis of an understudied aspect of spoken English. Authors Maryann Overstreet and George Yule investigate general extenders—trailing expressions such as “and stuff,” “or whatever,” and similar phrases—that speakers use to extend utterances in conversational contexts.
This groundbreaking work identifies and categorizes the various forms these extenders take and explores their multiple communicative functions. Rather than dismissing them as mere filler or verbal tics, the authors demonstrate that general extenders serve important pragmatic purposes in discourse, helping speakers manage information flow, convey attitudes, and facilitate social interaction.
By examining authentic spoken data, Overstreet and Yule reveal patterns in how different speakers use these expressions across various situations and relationships. Their research contributes valuable insights to sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, and our broader understanding of how language actually functions in everyday communication.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.