Functions of Post-posed Adverbial Clauses in Korean Conversation

Abstract

In discourse analysis, post-posed adverbial clauses (PACs) as instances of word order variability have been discussed from textual and cognitive perspectives. In recent years, interaction-based research on turn increments has provided a new opportunity for reconsidering word order variability in interactional and sequential contexts. This research explores properties of PACs in Korean conversation from an interaction-based perspective. Arguing against the text-based notion "afterthought" derived from text-organization and information status, this research shows that an interaction-based explanation can provide a better way of understanding word-order variability than does a text-based notion. It shows that the occurrence of PAC turn extensions is closely related to the following interactional contingencies: (i) pursuing recipient uptake, (ii) motivation of presenting an ungently relevant material first, and (iii) recipient design. In addition, this research shows PACs perform the following functions: (0 providing additional, specific, circumstantial information to the host sentential TCU, (ii) performing an action of retroactive reformulation, and (iii) providing an account or explanation for the statement/claim expressed in the host TCU. Finally, it suggests that an interaction-based explanation of word order variability can show the relationship between conversation, social actions, and grammar.