Discourse analysis

HOME TASK: Record part of a radio or television programme. Can you find any examples of heads?

Lesson 26 Tails -Post Posed Element Of Clauses.

Tails
Activity 1 Look at these extracts from conversations. Within your small groups discuss the questions. Contractions such as he'd, it's, /'//make the extracts informal. Mark any other
Words or phrases which make the conversations informal. Which of the extracts (a)-(d) is the most formal? Rewrite it to make it sound more informal.

• 
  A: Did Max help you?
  

B: Yes, he moved all my books.
A: He said he'd try and help out.
B: He was very helpful, Max was.

• 
  A: It's not a good wine, that.
  

B: I'll still try some.
A: Where's your glass?

• 
  A: What are you going to have?
  

В: I can't decide.
A: I'm going to have a burger with chili sauce, I am.
B: It's a specialty here, chili sauce is.

• 
  A: That's a very nice road.
  

B: It runs right across the moors.
A: Then it goes through all those lovely little villages.
B: Yes, the villages are beautiful.
Activity 2 Work with your partner and discuss which of these sentences is more likely to be used in formal situations and which is more likely to be used in informal situations? (Remember that in informal situations it is often difficult to plan and prepare what to say and therefore to make things clear for your listener.) Mark each sentence in the pair (F) formal or (I) informal.

1. 
   a. Gandhi was a great leader
   

b. He was a great leader, Gandhi was

2. 
   a. He smokes too much, David does
   

b. David smokes too much.
3. a. It’s very nice that road.
b. That road is very nice.
4. a. You are always getting it wrong, you are.
b. You’re always getting it wrong
5. a. I'm a bit lacking in confidence, I am.
b. I am a bit lacking in confidence
6. a. Hong Kong is an exciting place
b. It's an exciting place, Hong Kong is
7. a. They're not cheap, those clothes aren't
b. Those clothes aren't cheap
8. a. That's a very nice beer, Fortuna is
b. Fortuna is a very nice beer

• 
  The words added at the end of a sentence in spontaneous speech often involve repeating nouns and pronouns from an earlier part of the clause. They are called TAILS. They make the sentence more informal, and you can use them yourself when you want to sound more casual, or learn about them to improve your understanding of spontaneous conversation with English speakers.
  
• 
  Due to their informality you should avoid using tails in, for example, the formal parts of a business presentation or a formal interview.
  
• 
  In conversation we often want to give emphasis to statements. Tails can help us to do this. Tails are single words or phrases which occur at the end of a clause and extend what has already been said. A tail often consists of a phrase which extends a pronoun or demonstrative; it normally occurs as a complete phrase even though the subject phrase which is put at the front of the clause may be contracted, e.g. It's an exciting place, Hong Kong is.
  
• 
  Notice that tails often occur in statements in which the speaker is evaluating things and saying positive or negative things. You get tails in sentences in which there are words like exciting, very nice, great, too much, or a bit lacking.