3. In Fact and Actually – A Class of Adversative Pragmatic Markers

Karin Aijmer

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3. In Fact and Actually – A Class of Adversative Pragmatic Markers

Karin Aijmer
Karin Aijmer

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3In Fact and Actually – A Class of Adversative Pragmatic Markers3.1 IntroductionIn fact and actually are closely related. There are many similarities between them. They have the same etymological meaning and they share many functions. Theyhave mainly been discussed diachronically.Traugott and Dasher (2002) traced the development of actually, in fact (and indeed)from VP adverbials to sentential adverbials and further to pragmatic markers both in a macro- perspective and on the micro- level and found subtle diff erences in their history which show up as synchronic diff erences (cf. also Powell 1992). The present study is synchronic only and focuses on the variability and fl exibility of in fact (and actually) in diff erent text types and social situations and the formal, functional and contextual features constraining their usage. The hypothesis which will be explored is that it is the social situation rather than shared literal meaning which determines how the pragmatic markers are used. Such a study can also throw light on what the factors are constraining their usage. In fact and actually have been referred to as modal adverbs (cf. Quirk et al. 1985 ‘disjuncts’), as both modal adverbs and discourse markers by Schwenter and Traugott (2000), and as pragmatic markers (discourse markers) by Fraser (1996). It is, however, diffi cult to distinguish between the modal adverb and the pragmatic marker formally and functionally and it is not useful for the aims of this study to make such a distinction. I have therefore opted to refer to them as pragmatic markers. The chapter is organised as follows. Section 3.2 deals with previous work. Section 3.3 shows the distribution of in fact and actually over diff erent corpora and in diff erent text types. Section 3.4 is an introduction to in fact and deals with its formal features (formal and prosodic features, collocation). Section 3.5 discusses the functions of in fact mainlyin conversation. Sections 3.6–3.8 deal with in fact in a selection of other text types and situa-tions. Section 3.9 summarises the discussion of in fact. Section 3.10 introduces actually and deals with its formal features. 3.11 discusses its functional properties mainly in conversa-tion summarised in Section 3.12. Sections 3.13–3.15 deal with actually in some other text types where it is frequent. Section 3.16 summarises the analysis of actually. Section 3.17 contrasts the formal and contextual features constraining the usage of in fact and actually.AIJMER9780748635498PRINT.indd74AIJMER 9780748635498 PRINT.indd 7418/03/201314:2118/03/2013 14:21

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3In Fact and Actually – A Class of Adversative Pragmatic Markers3.1 IntroductionIn fact and actually are closely related. There are many similarities between them. They have the same etymological meaning and they share many functions. Theyhave mainly been discussed diachronically.Traugott and Dasher (2002) traced the development of actually, in fact (and indeed)from VP adverbials to sentential adverbials and further to pragmatic markers both in a macro- perspective and on the micro- level and found subtle diff erences in their history which show up as synchronic diff erences (cf. also Powell 1992). The present study is synchronic only and focuses on the variability and fl exibility of in fact (and actually) in diff erent text types and social situations and the formal, functional and contextual features constraining their usage. The hypothesis which will be explored is that it is the social situation rather than shared literal meaning which determines how the pragmatic markers are used. Such a study can also throw light on what the factors are constraining their usage. In fact and actually have been referred to as modal adverbs (cf. Quirk et al. 1985 ‘disjuncts’), as both modal adverbs and discourse markers by Schwenter and Traugott (2000), and as pragmatic markers (discourse markers) by Fraser (1996). It is, however, diffi cult to distinguish between the modal adverb and the pragmatic marker formally and functionally and it is not useful for the aims of this study to make such a distinction. I have therefore opted to refer to them as pragmatic markers. The chapter is organised as follows. Section 3.2 deals with previous work. Section 3.3 shows the distribution of in fact and actually over diff erent corpora and in diff erent text types. Section 3.4 is an introduction to in fact and deals with its formal features (formal and prosodic features, collocation). Section 3.5 discusses the functions of in fact mainlyin conversation. Sections 3.6–3.8 deal with in fact in a selection of other text types and situa-tions. Section 3.9 summarises the discussion of in fact. Section 3.10 introduces actually and deals with its formal features. 3.11 discusses its functional properties mainly in conversa-tion summarised in Section 3.12. Sections 3.13–3.15 deal with actually in some other text types where it is frequent. Section 3.16 summarises the analysis of actually. Section 3.17 contrasts the formal and contextual features constraining the usage of in fact and actually.AIJMER9780748635498PRINT.indd74AIJMER 9780748635498 PRINT.indd 7418/03/201314:2118/03/2013 14:21

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