Content area
This dissertation focuses on two types of yes/no questions in Mandarin Chinese—the final particle question and the A-not-A question—and investigates question-answer sequences associated with these two target question formats. Based on videotaped data of naturally occurring conversations, this study aims to re-examine the target question formats and analyze in detail the local context in which these questions are embedded. Employing discourse-functional linguistic and conversation analytic approaches, the primary goal of this study is to look at how participants, both speakers and hearers, are oriented to questions generated by the two target question formats and at how the associated question-answer sequences are systematically and collaboratively achieved as the conversation unfolds.
The data have been analyzed in detail with respect to question design, sequential features, and conversational practices. The analysis of – ma formulated questions reveals that a majority of – ma questions display a reactive orientation, tied closely back to the prior turn and making use of the prior turn to construct the current question. In addition, –ma formulated questions, with different constituents, commonly indicate misalignment or pursue the earlier turns on the basis of the information provided in the prior sequence. The analysis of V-not-V formulated questions, on the other hand, suggests that, in everyday conversations, a great number of V-not-V questions are accounted for by a limited number of V-not-V prefabs. Questions formulated by V-not-V prefabs— shi-bu-shi ("is [it] or not"), hui-bu-hui ("would [it] or not"), and yao-bu-yao ("do [you/we] want or not")—are commonly deployed to introduce the speaker's own point of view into the conversation and request co-participants to align with or corroborate the view. In particular, these questions are making proposals, suggestions, offers, and invitations.
This dissertation has demonstrated that turn design, sequential context, and interactional tasks accomplished are all contributing factors that should be considered in order to understand what the target question formats accomplish interactionally and sequentially. This study can be considered a further demonstration that grammar should be understood as situated practices, and a systematic, multimodal analysis of the situated context in which linguistic formats are embedded is required to better understand the nature of the target linguistic structures.