Two request forms of four year olds
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Anthony J. Wootton
Abstract
The occurrence of declarative Iwant and interrogative Can I request forms is examined in the natural language use of four year old children with their parents in the home. The analysis focuses on the use of these forms after an initial request has been turned down and after the use of imperatives by parents. The analysis suggests that in these sequential positions these forms are used in non-equivalent ways. Further evidence relating to the use of these forms in sequence initial positions suggests certain parallels with the earlier findings.
Abstract
The occurrence of declarative Iwant and interrogative Can I request forms is examined in the natural language use of four year old children with their parents in the home. The analysis focuses on the use of these forms after an initial request has been turned down and after the use of imperatives by parents. The analysis suggests that in these sequential positions these forms are used in non-equivalent ways. Further evidence relating to the use of these forms in sequence initial positions suggests certain parallels with the earlier findings.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgement vii
- Glossary of transcription conventions ix
- Requesting – from speech act to recruitment 1
- Human agency and the infrastructure for requests 35
- Benefactors and beneficiaries 55
- The putative preference for offers over requests 87
- On divisions of labor in request and offer environments 115
- The social and moral work of modal constructions in granting remote requests 145
- Two request forms of four year olds 171
- Orchestrating directive trajectories in communicative projects in family interaction 185
- How to do things with requests 215
- On the grammatical form of requests at the convenience store 243
- Requesting immediate action in the surgical operating room 269
- When do people not use language to make requests? 303
- “Requests” and “offers” in orangutans and human infants 335
- Subject Index 365
- Name Index 369
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgement vii
- Glossary of transcription conventions ix
- Requesting – from speech act to recruitment 1
- Human agency and the infrastructure for requests 35
- Benefactors and beneficiaries 55
- The putative preference for offers over requests 87
- On divisions of labor in request and offer environments 115
- The social and moral work of modal constructions in granting remote requests 145
- Two request forms of four year olds 171
- Orchestrating directive trajectories in communicative projects in family interaction 185
- How to do things with requests 215
- On the grammatical form of requests at the convenience store 243
- Requesting immediate action in the surgical operating room 269
- When do people not use language to make requests? 303
- “Requests” and “offers” in orangutans and human infants 335
- Subject Index 365
- Name Index 369
