AN ANALYSIS OF THE FUNCTIONS OF TAG QUESTIONS EMPLOYED BY THE CHARACTERS
IN “FRIENDS” TV SHOWS SEASON 1 (A Sociolinguistics Approach)
THESIS
Submitted As a Partial Fulfillment of Requirement For the Sarjana Sastra Degree at English Department
Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University
By:
LILIS DWI KRISTYANINGRUM C0305043
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS AND FINE ARTS SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY
ii
AN ANALYSIS OF THE FUNCTIONS OF TAG QUESTIONS EMPLOYED BY THE CHARACTERS IN “FRIENDS” TV SHOWS SEASON 1
(A Sociolinguistics Approach)
By:
LILIS DWI KRISTYANINGRUM C0305043
Approved to be examined before the Board of Examiners Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts
Sebelas Maret University
Thesis Consultant:
Drs. S. Budi Waskito, M. Pd NIP. 19521108 198303 1001
Head of English Department
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AN ANALYSIS OF THE FUNCTIONS OF TAG QUESTIONS EMPLOYED BY THE CHARACTERS IN “FRIENDS” TV SHOWS SEASON 1
(A Sociolinguistics Approach)
By:
LILIS DWI KRISTYANINGRUM C0305043
Accepted and approved by the Board of Examiners Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts
Sebelas Maret University On April 7th, 2010
Board of Examiners
Position Name Signature
1. Chairman Dr. Tri Wiratno, MA ………
NIP. 19610914 198703 1001
2. Secretary Ida Kusuma Dewi, SS, MA ………
NIP. 19710525 1998022 001
3. First Examiner Drs. S. Budi Waskito, M. Pd ...…………. NIP. 19521108 198303 1001
4. Second Examiner Agus Dwi Priyanto, SS, M.CALL ....………… NIP.19740818 200012 1001
Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University
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PRONOUNCEMENT
Name : Lilis Dwi Kristyaningrum
NIM : C0305043
Stated wholeheartedly that the thesis entitled An Analysis of the Functions of Tag Questions Employed by the Characters in Friends TV Shows Season 1 is originally made by myself. It is not a plagiarism nor made by others. The things related to other people’s works are written in quotation and included in the bibliography.
If it is later discovered and proven that this pronouncement is prevaricating, I am ready to take on any consequences from English Department of Sebelas Maret University, including the withdrawal of the Degree.
Surakarta, April 2010
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MOTTOS
N othing is impossible
W hen there is a will, there is a way
Life is struggle. T he one who enjoy it
vi DEDICATION
Thi s t hesi s i s whol ehear t edl y dedi cat ed t o: My bel oved f ami l y
Mysel f My f r i ends
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Bismillahirrohmanirrohim.
First and for most I would like to present my greatest thank to Allah SWT for his grace and mercy so that I can finish this thesis. This thesis will not be complete without advice, guidance and support from others. Therefore, in this opportunity, I would like to express my fondest gratitude to:
1. Drs.Sudarno, MA, as the Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts.
2. Drs.Djatmika, MA, the Head of English Department for approving my thesis.
3. Drs. S. Budi Waskita, M. Pd. as my thesis supervisor, Thank for your guidance and advice so that I can finish my thesis.
4. M. Taufiq Al Makmun, S.S, the academic advisor who gave me moral support during the academic period.
5. All the lecturers of English Department. Thank you very much for the precious guidance and knowledge you have given to me.
6. My beloved family, mom and dad, for your love, patient, advice and support to reach my dream. I also thank for your endless financial support during my study.
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8. My “special friends” mas Dana Mahendra Putra, thanks for your love, care and patient you have shared to me. Thanks for always have a time for bringing me to see another side of this world.
9. The community of “keluarga satwa”. Mpuss meong, let fight for your thesis. Hopefully we can graduate in the same time. Ina “pitek” (missing our heart to heart. Be a good housewife dear) and isti “onta” (I wonder how can you life in that way). I miss the crazy thing we have done.
10.De kampreters family: Melon (thanks for sharing your bad for me and also for your motivation to finish my thesis soon), Yogi (for inspiring me to be a good friend), Iren (for correcting my grammar and sharing our experience), Hesti (for being my editor), Fitria (let’s make a debate again), Nurin (how with our resolution?), Nunik (when will you hang out with us again? ), Woro, Ima, Puspa, Kiki. Viva de kampret!
11.KaDe loversfamily: titik, niken, linda, ayu, hayu, sist vita,(when will we have a trip again?) and meta (thanks for being my hair stylist)
12.All of Padang member, who give me free home stay especially for Antik, Ifa, kak Ipeh, Kristin, Ratih and Duwik. Thank you very much.
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14.My blue which always takes me to every place I want. Thank for accompany me although sometimes you make me tired.
15.My “Iyok-pico” which never bore to keep my thesis. You help me a lot, dear especially in doing my thesis.
16.All individuals and institution contributing the thesis process that I could mention one by one, thanks for the support.
After all I have tried to do my best in writing of the thesis. However, I realize that this thesis is far from being perfect. Thus constructive criticism and suggestion are open-handedly accepted. Hopefully this thesis will be beneficial as it is purposively written.
Surakarta, April , 2010
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. Definition of Ethnography of Communication………..
2. Fundamentalnotions of ethnography of communication………...
a. Ways of Speaking………
xiii ABSTRACT
Lilis Dwi Kristyaningrum. C0305043. An Analysis of the Functions of Tag Questions Employed by the Characters in Friends TV Shows Season 1 (A Sociolinguistics Approach). Thesis: English Department Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University.
This research was conducted to find out the functions of tag questions employed by the characters in friends TV Shows season 1and the way the characters employs certain function of tag question. It is also conducted to know the reasons of the characters to employ certain function of tag question.
The research employed a Sociolinguistics approach with tag question as the topic of analysis. The research is a descriptive qualitative research which applies total sampling technique. All 20 dialogues containing tag questions in the film were taken as data. The data were analyzed based on Holmes’ theory of tag questions and social dimension, and also Dell Hymes’ theory of SPEAKING.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. RESEARCH BACKGROUND
Language is an import ant thing to make a com munication in the societ y. Language also funct ions as people w ay t o share t heir ideas, express feeling and
many m ore. Language is m ult ilayered and does not show a one t o one correspondence bet w een message and m eaning as anim al language does. For t his reason, every m eaning can be expressed in more t han one w ay and t here ar e
many w ays t o express any m eaning (Chaika, 1994:6). How ever, t o creat e a good comm unicat ion, the speakers should know the right sit uat ion, the part icipant or addressee, and also t he t opic of conversat ion. To fulfill t hat requirement ,
language should be correlat ed w ith Sociolinguist ics because Sociolinguist ics is t he st udy of the w ay people use language in social int eract ions of all kinds (Chaika, 1994:3). Hudson (1980, pp 3-5) in Chaika defines Sociolinguist ics as t he
st udy of language in relat ion t o societ y. And according t o Holm es (1992:1) Sociolinguist ics also w ill explain why people speak different ly in different social cont ext s and concerned with identifying the social functions of language and t he w ay it is used t o convey social m eaning. Based on the t heory above, t he good
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Different area will have different norm of speech so t hat is w hy t he speakers should underst and t he norm and cont ext of sit uat ion to creat e a good
comm unicat ion especially in using cert ain ut t erance. Polit eness st rat egy can be used as a comm unication device. According t o Holmes (1992:306) people will be polit e if t hey know how to express a range of speech funct ions in a culturally
appropriat e way. There are t w o kinds of polit eness st rat egy: posit ive and negat ive. Tag quest ion is a kind of posit ive polit eness st rat egy. Tag quest ion is a quest ion added to a declarat ive sent ence, usually at the end, to engage t he list ener, verify t hat somet hing has been underst ood, or confirm than an action is
agreed. Com mon t ags include w on't you? Wasn’t it ? Don’t you? Haven’t you? Okay? and right. Lakoff in Holmes (1992:318) defines t ag quest ion as a synt act ic device w hich may express uncert aint y. But Holm es (1992:321) defines it as
polit eness device rat her t han as expressions of uncert aint y. The exam ple below may give m ore underst anding about t ag quest ion:
Conversat ion in t he kit chen bet w een flat mat es: Thom as: This isn’t Bridget ’ s egg beat er is it/? M ichael: No, it ’s ours. W e st ill haven’t found hers. (Holmes, 1992:320)
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above. How ever, t he ot her exam ple w ill explain about t he different funct ions of t ag quest ion.
The t eacher is t alking t o Sam, a pupil w ho is looking at a pict ure of a
but t erfly in a cocoon in a book: Teacher: What’s this called Sam ?
Sam : No answ er.
Teacher: it’s a cocoon isn’t it ? (Holmes, 1992:320)
The exam ple above is a t ag quest ion but it is not served as uncert aint y
function. The t eacher is perfect ly cert ain about her st at ement . She just t ries t o facilitat e Sam t o part icipat e in the conversat ion because he does not answ er her quest ion. This is t he second funct ion of t ag quest ion, facilit at ive function.
Facilit ative funct ion of a t ag quest ion will offer t he addressee an opport unit y t o cont ribut e (Holm es, 1992:320). Beside t w o functions above, according to Holm es t here are t w o functions more, soft ening and confront at ion.
In t he “ friends’ TV Show s series season 1 there are a lot of t ag quest ions
w hich show different funct ion employed by t he different charact er. Here are som e exam ples of the case:
1. (t he door buzzer sounds. chandler get s it )
Chandler: Please don't do t hat again, it 's a horrible sound. Paul: (over int ercom) It 's, uh, it 's Paul.
M onica: Buzz him in! Joey: Who's Paul?
xvii M onica: M aybe.
Joey: Wait . Your 'not a real dat e' tonight is with Paul the Wine Guy? Ross: He finally asked you out?
M onica: Yes!
Chandler: Ooh, this is a Dear Diary mom ent . M onica: Rach, w ait, I can cancel...
Rachel: Please, no, go, that 'd be fine!
M onica: (to ross) Are, are you okay? I mean, do you w ant me t o st ay? Ross: (choked voice) That 'd be good...
M onica: (horrified) Really?
Ross: (normal voice) No, go on! It 's Paul the Wine Guy! (a knock at the door. monica get s it; it 's paul)
M onica: Hi, com e in! Paul, this is.. (t hey are all lined up next t o t he door)... everybody, everybody, this is Paul.
All: Hey! Paul! Hi! The W ine Guy! Hey!
Chandler: I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. Paul, w as it?
M onica: (show s Paul in) Two seconds.
Phoebe: Ooh, I just pulled out four eyelashes. That can't be good.
The t ag quest ion above show s t he facilit at ive function. It is not the expression of Chandler’s uncert aint y. The conversat ion occurs in M onica’ s apart m ent . All the gangs are t here. They are com fort Rachel who is crying aft er
leaving her m arriage. Suddenly the bell is ringing. Chandler asks w ho is over t here and Paul mentioned his nam e. Chandler asks t o his friend w ho Paul is but M onica asks Chandler t o let Paul in. Then they t alk about Paul and when Paul
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facilitat ive funct ion can also be seen by t he w ay Paul does not answ er t he quest ion. If it is t he expression of uncert aint y Paul w ill answ er t he quest ion.
2. [Scene: A fancy rest aurant . Joey and M onica are there, meet ing Angela
and Bob, w ho M onica t hinks is Angela's brot her.]
M onica: Thank you. So what does t his Bob guy look like? Is he t all? Short ? Joey: Yep.
M onica: Which? Joey: Which what ?
M onica: You've never met Bob, have you?
Joey: No, but he's--
M onica: Oh my god, Joey, for all w e know t his guy could be horribly-- [Angela and Bob w alk in. Bob is good-looking.]
The t ag em ployed by M onica is a kind of t ag w hich has function as
confront ational funct ion. Joey promised to M onica to int roduce her with Bob. Joey said t hat Bob is Angela’ s brother (Angela is Joey’s ex girlfriend and Bob is Angela’ s new boyfriend). Joey asked M onica to have a dinner w it h Angela and
Bob in order t o at t ract Bob’s at t ent ion because act ually Joey w ant s t o get Angela back. In the rest aurant , while waiting for Angela and Bob’s com ing, M onica asks Joey about the physical appearance of Bob. She asks w het her Bob is t all or short .
But Joey answ ers yep (yes). From t hat answ er, M onica know s t hat Joey never meet s Bob. Therefore she delivers a quest ion t ag t o show her anger. This t ag does not show uncert aint y since M onica is sure t hat Joey never m eets Bob. The
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From t he t wo dialogues above, it can be seen t hat Tag quest ions has several different funct ions and there are st ill any different funct ions of t ag
quest ions employ by t he charact er in the film. Based on the phenomena above, I consider t hat it is valuable t o have a research about the funct ion of t ag quest ions. Thus, I conduct the research entit led AN ANALYSIS OF THE
FUNCTIONS OF TAG QUESTIONS EM PLOYED BY THE CHARACTERS IN “FRIENDS”
TV SHOW S SEASON 1.
B. RESERACH LIM ITATION
The research only focuses on t he analysis of t he funct ions of t ag quest ions since they are found in the dialogues of “ Friends” TV Show s season 1.
C. PROBLEM STATEM ENTS
Based on t he background above, t he problem st atem ent of t his research broken up into:
1. W hat are t he functions of t ag quest ions em ployed by cert ain charact ers in
“ friends” TV Show s?
2. How do the charact ers em ploy cert ain functions of the t ag quest ions?
3. Why do the charact ers em ploy cert ain functions of the t ag quest ions?
D. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
On grounding by t he form ulat ion of the problem st at em ent s above, t he
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1. To describe cert ain funct ions of t ag quest ions employed by cert ain charact ers in the “ friends” TV Show s.
2. To explain the w ay t he charact ers employ cert ain funct ions of the t ag quest ion in the “ friends” TV Show s.
3. To find out the reason w hy the charact ers em ploy cert ain funct ions of t he
t ag quest ions in the “ friends” TV Show s.
E. RESEARCH BENEFITS
The research is expect ed t o be beneficial to:
a. English Depart ment st udent s
The research w ill enrich the underst anding of English Depart m ent st udent s t oward tag quest ions and t heir function.
b. Ot her researcher
The research w ill inspire ot her researchers t o conduct a m ore com prehensive research of relat ed study.
c. The public
The research w ill be useful for public t o underst and more about t ag quest ion
and it s function and also the relat ionship with polit eness.
F. RESEARCH M ETHODOLOGY
This research is a descript ive qualit ative m et hod because t he dat a is in
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collect ing the dat a as t hey are, analyzing it and t hen drawing a conclusion. In M oleong (2007:4) Bodgan and Taylor define qualit ative m et hodology as a
research procedure w hich result s descript ive dat a in a form of w rit ten or spoken ut t erances of people and at titude w hich can be observed.
This research also uses t otal sampling t echnique because all of t he dat a
w hich cont ains t ag quest ion are analyzed based on it s funct ion. Surakhmad (1982) stat es t hat t ot al sampling is a met hod of sam pling t echnique w here all dat a are used as t he sample t o m ake generalizat ion t owards t he populat ion research. In t his research, I focus on the function of t ag quest ions. Therefore t he
dat a was t aken from the dialogues in friends TV Show s series season 1.
This research is based on sociolinguist ics approach since it deals w it h et hnography of comm unicat ion, social dimension and polit eness. The com plet e
research m et hodology will be explained m ore in chapt er III.
G. THESIS ORGANIZATION
This thesis is organized by some chapt ers and it em s as follow s:
CHAPTER 1 covers Int roduct ion, consisting of research Background,
Problem limit at ion, problem stat ement , research object ive, research benefit s,
research m et hodology, and thesis organizat ion.
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CHAPTER III covers Research M et hodology consist ing of t ype of t he st udy and research m et hod, Dat a source, Sample and Sampling Technique, Inst rum ent
of the research, Technique of Collect ing Dat a, Dat a Coding and Technique of Analyzing Dat a
CHAPTER IV covers Dat a Analysis consist ing of Int roduction, t he analysis
and Discussion.
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CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter will discuss the guidance theories of this research and the related theories that connect and support the analysis
A. SOCIOLINGUISTICS 1. Definition of Sociolinguistics
Language cannot be separated from daily communication. As a means of people’s interaction, language has a close relationship with society. In using language, people will consider the right way and the appropriateness according to social context where the conversation occurs. Therefore there is a branch of linguistics which studies the relationship between language and people who use it (society), called Sociolinguistics. According to Holmes (1992:1), Sociolinguistics is the study of the relationship between language and society. Sociolinguistics concerns to explain why people speak differently in different social context, and they are concerned with identifying the social functions of language and the way it is used to convey social meaning. The same definition is also given by Hudson (1980:1) that Sociolinguistics is the study of language in relation to Society.
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Trudgil said “Sociolinguistics is the part of linguistics which is concerned with language as a social and cultural phenomenon (1992:3)
2. Scope of Sociolinguistics
According to Trudgil (1992) Sociolinguistics is classified into two scopes of study, which are known as micro-sociolinguistics and macro-sociolinguistics. Micro-sociolinguistics is a term used to cover the study of face to face interaction, discourse analysis, conversational analysis and other areas of sociolinguistics involving the study of relatively small group of speaker. Moreover, micro-sociolinguistics concerns with the study of language in specific community with the scope of discussion such as the behavior toward language, style of speech, domains of language use, register, speech act, etc. while macro-sociolinguistics refers to sociolinguistics area involving the study of relatively large group of speakers. It concerns with the study of language history and development in the scope of society in general. In other side, Bell in Soemarsono (2002:15) also states the difference between micro and macro Sociolinguistics. According to him, micro-sociolinguistics focuses on the language interaction between the speaker in a speech community (intra-group interaction) while macro-sociolinguistics focuses on the interaction between the speakers in a different speech community (inter-group interaction).
B. ETHNOGRAPHY OF COMMUNICATION
1. Definition
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effective. To gain this knowledge of understanding the social and cultural context, Hymes proposes a theory about ethnography of communication or ethnography of speaking. According to Hymes (1974), “the ethnography of communication is the study of the organization of speaking as an activity in human society based on social and cultural values” (in Fasold, 1990:39). It studies the rules and the norms for using language in social situation. Moreover, Hymes states that the ethnography of communication or ethnography of speaking concerned with the situation and uses, the pattern and functions of speaking as an activity in its own right.
This study not simply concerns with language structures, but also concerns with the language uses, which rules of speaking the ways in which speakers associate particular modes of speaking, topics, or message forms, with particular settings and activities. The ethnography of communication not only seeks to account merely for what can be said but also seeks to account for when, where, by whom, to whom, in what manner, and in what particular circumstances.
2. Fundamental Notions of Ethnography of Communication
There are notions with which ethnography of communication must deal, some of them are:
a. Ways of Speaking
xxvi b. Speech Community
Speech community is one of the essential concepts of ethnography of communication. To make the communication good, the speaker should know the background of the participants. Lyons in Soemarsono (2004:316) states “speech community is all the people who use a given language (dialect)”. Therefore speech community here represents a group of people who use a language. The same definition is also given by Bloomfield who states that a speech community is a group of people who interact by means of speech (ibid, 317).Every language will have a speech community like what Hocket says that each language defines speech community that is: it will have the whole set of people who communicate with each other, either directly or indirectly, by a common language (Charles Hocket in Hudson, 1980:26).
c. Speech Situation
According to Hymes, speech situation is situation which is associated with or marked by the absence of speech. For example: ceremonies, fight, hunts, or love making. Speech situation gives a background description of a speech occurring in a community. Speech events are not in themselves governed by such rules, or one set of such rules throughout. For example: a hunt may comprise both verbal and nonverbal events, and the verbal events may be of more than one type.
d. Speech Event
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is the communicative event within a speech situation which is composed of one or more speech acts. For instance, a request is a speech act that is a part of conversation (a speech event) which takes place at dinner (the speech situation). 3. Component of Speech
Hymes in Wardaugh (1998:243-244) also proposes certain components of speech (usually mentioned as SPEAKING) that the ethnographer should look for, namely;
a. Setting and Scene (S) of speech. Setting refers to the time and place (concrete physical circumstances) and scene refers to the abstract psychological setting, or the cultural definition of the occasion as a certain type of scene.
b. Participant (P) includes various combinations of speaker-listener, addressor-addressee, or sender receiver. They generally fill certain socially specified roles.
c. Ends (E) refers to the conventionally recognized and expected outcome of an exchange as well as to the personal goals that participants seek to accomplish on particular occasions. A trial in a courtroom has a recognizable social end in view, but the various participants, i.e., the judge, jury, prosecution, defense, accused and witnesses, have different personal goals.
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form of speaking, with each goes different kind of language and things talked about.
e. Key (K) refers to the tone, manner or spirit in which a particular message is conveyed, whether it is light hearted, serious, precise, mocking, and so on. The key may also be marked nonverbally by certain kinds of behavior, gesture, posture or even deportment.
f. Instrumentalities (I) refer to the choice of channel, e.g., oral, written, or telegraphic, and also the actual forms of speech employed, such as the language, dialect, code or register that is chosen.
g. Norms of interaction and interpretation (N) refer to the specific behaviors and properties that attach to speaking and to know how these may be viewed by someone who does not share them, e.g., loudness, silence, gaze return, and so on.
h. Genre (G) refers to clearly demarcated types of utterance such things as poems, proverbs, riddles, sermons, prayers, lecturers, and editorials.
C. SOCIAL DIMENSION OF COMMUNICATION
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1. A social distance, concerned with participant relationships
The social distance scale explains how well we know someone. It is one of the most important factors affecting the way you talk to them. How close and far the relationship of someone can be seen from these scales. In-group language is the language of solidarity (ibid, 378). It means that language used by a group shows their identity and their relationship. For example: people will use vernacular language to speak with their friend from hometown, but they will use official language or lingua franca in foreign area.
The social distance scale Intimate/close distant High solidarity low solidarity
In relation with Tag Questions, the relation of people influence the kind of tag questions they used. For example: a teacher uses facilitative tag to make her students participate in the topic of lesson and to answer her question.
2. A status scale, concerned with participant relationships
Dimension of status scale or power is the dimension that accounts for a variety of linguistics differences in the way people speak. People speak in a way which signals their social status in a community. This scale is pointed to the relevance of relative status in some linguistic choice.
The social status scale Superior high status
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For example; someone in a higher status tends to use tag questions to confront something or give a feedback directly, usually for a lower status because he feels that he is superior.
3. A formality scale, relating to the setting or type of interaction
The formality scale is the dimension that takes accounts for speech variation in different setting or context. It shows the influence of the social setting or type of interaction on the language choice whether in a formal or informal occasion. For example, in a law court, a very formal setting will influence language choice regardless of the personal relationship between the speakers. However, in friendly chat, people will use casual language or even slang word. In relation to tag questions, in a formal situation, people will use a tag question in a more polite way than in casual occasion.
The formality scale Formal high formality
Informal low formality
4. Two functional scales, relating to the purpose or topic interaction
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someone is feeling. In general, the more referentially oriented an interaction is, the less it tends to express the feeling of the speaker. For example, the weather forecast tends to put the emphasis on information or the referential function. In the opposite, the interaction which concerns with expressing feelings often has little space in the way of new information to communicate between people. Talk between neighbors over the fence at the weekend about the weather, for instance, is more likely to be mainly affective in function, and intended to convey goodwill toward the neighbor rather than important new information.
Referential
Affective
D. THE TAG QUESTION THEORY
According to Tsui (1994:68) Tag questions are considered as a further type of yes-no question which conveys negative or positive orientation. Another definition of a tag question is a special construction in English. It is a statement followed by a mini-question. (http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-questions-tag.htm)
1.The form of Tag Question
Tag questions are questions formed by adding a tag consisting of an auxiliary and pronoun (combined with positive and negative polarity) at the end of
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sentence (Lock, 1996:184). According to Eckertand and Mc Conell (2003:167) a tag question contains an inverted auxiliary form, determined by the auxiliary in the main clause, and a pronoun that agrees with the subject of the main clause. In a tag question, the polarity of the main clause is reversed, a positive main clause gets a negative tags and vice versa. Here are the basic structures of Tag Question
+
negative statement [-] positive tag [+]
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ht tp:/ / w w w .englishclub.com/ gramm ar/ verbs-quest ions-t ag.ht m
Beside the formal form, a tag question also has an invariant form. It is invariant because the tag is always same no matter what kind of main clause it attaches to (Eckertand and Mc Connell, 2003: 167). In other words, the tag is not depending on the main verb and the tenses. For example:
You've been there, right?
Come on, Ross, you got to get back in the game here, okay?
The first statement is an invariant tag which is used by the speaker to show her doubt about the truth of his statement, whether the second is an invariant tag which is used by the speaker to soften his order. This shows that there is no difference functions between the formal form and the invariant tag although they have different form.
Invariant form of tag questions can also be seen in a tag which has function as imperative, forbidden, and request. Imperative tags are made into more polite requests by adding a positive future tag. It means that whatever the verb, the tag is always positive. For imperative usually using auxiliary will and for request using shall (Allen, 1968:166). For example:
Stop that noise, will you?
Let’s go for a walk, shall we?
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second is a tag functions as offer. It uses auxiliary shall and followed by the subject we.
Intonation also becomes an important thing of Tag questions because it can help signal which functions are primary in a given utterance. However, it still interacts with many other factors. According to Jones (1956:149) intonation is the pitch of the voice with which a voiced sound is pronounced. In connected speech, the voice pitch is continually rising and falling. Falling intonations generally denote finality. They are accordingly used in commands, of complete statements not implying any continuation known to the speaker, of questions containing a specific interrogative word and before the last alternative questions. The rising intonations are generally employed in sense groups which are not final, i.e. when a continuation of some sorts is expressed or implied. In relation to the tag question, Tsui divides the intonation of Tag questions into two, rising and falling intonation. However, in practice there are four different types of intonation of tag questions as follows:
The exam is in the first period, isn’t it?
A very cold morning, doesn’t it?
Fox is his first name, isn’t it?
He likes his job, doesn’t he?
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shows that actually the speaker has known the fact but he wants to seek the agreement from the hearer. It cannot be interpreted as a real question because the truth is really self evident because actually the speaker really knows that the weather is very cold. Rising-falling intonation indicates that the speaker is seeking confirmation or making a point. The third is a tag which has falling-falling intonation. It shows that the speaker has no doubt about his assumption. It also asks the addressee to agree with his assumption. This kind of tag expects the positive assumption from the hearer. It means that it asks the hearer’s agreement by answering yes or no. And the last is a tag which has rising-rising intonation. It has the function to strengthen the statement of the speaker. Besides, it is also used to create a sarcastic or ironic effect to the addressee
In the same way Murphy (1998:51) states that in tag questions, if the voice goes down, it means that the speaker is not really asking a question, but only inviting the listener to agree with the speaker and if the voice goes up, it is a real question.
2.The function of Tag Questions
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tag questions. He defines tag questions as a syntactic device which may express uncertainty.
Moreover, Holmes classifies the function of tag questions into four types (1992: 318):
1. Uncertainty function
Uncertainty function shows that the speaker doubts his statement. It is used to verify or check information that what we think is true or to check information that what we are not sure is true. In order to make the speaker sure, this tag focuses on the accuracy of the information the addressee is giving.
Example:
Conversation in the kitchen between flatmates:
Thomas: This isn’t Bridget’s egg beater, is it?
Michael: No, it’s ours. We still haven’t found hers.
The example above is a tag question which shows uncertainty. Thomas thinks that the egg beater is belonging to Bridget but he is still not sure about it. Therefore he delivers a tag question to express his uncertainty. The way Thomas expresses his uncertainty can be also seen by the intonation he used. In general, a tag question is regarded to serve a function as uncertainty functions like the example above.
2. Facilitative function
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in general, people in leadership roles who are responsible for the success of an interaction.
Example:
Conversation between close friends out from theatre
A: Great performance, wasn’t it?
B: I like it very much. I’ve never seen such performance before.
The example above is a kind of a Tag Question which shows facilitative function. Speaker A and B have just out from theatre. Speaker A opens the conversation by giving a comment about the performance they watch. Speaker A delivers a Tag in order to open a conversation with her friend, not to express his uncertainty. After facilitated by A, B joins in the conversation by telling that she never sees the good performance like that before.
3. Softening function
A softening tag attenuates or mitigates the potential negative impact of something, like criticism and directive.
Example:
The conversation occurs in the bus which is very crowded. A man sitting in
the bus while smoking
A: I think it is better for you to put off your cigarette, isn’t it?
B: sorry
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done is not true. She just wants to soften the negative comment in order to avoid speaker B’s anger or bad respect. The softening function can also be seen by the intonation used by the speaker that is falling intonation.
4. Confrontational function
Confrontational function is used to confront something. The function tends to strengthen the negative force of the utterance in which it occurs. It also often elicits defeated silence or reluctant admissions. The confrontational tag is usually marked by the rising intonation to be sarcastic or to make a strong point.
Example:
A police superintendent is interviewing a detective constable and is
criticizing the constable’s performance:
A: …you’ll probably find yourself un before the chief constable, okay?
B: yes, sir yes understood
A: now you’re fully understand that,don’t you?
B: yes, sir, indeed, yeah
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E. DOMAINS OF LANGUAGE USE
Speaking about the choice of certain variety in accordance with social dimensions of communication, we should look at domains of language use. It is the term to point at typical setting, typical topics, and typical participants. Holmes (1992:23) states that the certain social factors- whom you are talking to, the social context of the talk, the function and topic of the discussion- turn out to be important in accounting for language choice in many different kinds of speech community.
Sociolinguistics determines kinds of domain such as family, friendship, religion, employment, and education. The progress of Sociolinguistics study brings wider and more specific divisions of kinds of domain; among them are home, school, office, market, neighborhood, church, etc.
F. SYNOPSIS OF THE FILM
“Friends” is an American sit uat ion comedy created by David Crane and
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around his attempts to tell her how he feels. Meanwhile, Ross’s estranged lesbian wife Carol is pregnant with his baby. This puts him and Carol’s lesbian life partner, Susan, in an awkward position. When the baby is born at the end of the season, Ross, Carol, and Susan agree to name him Ben: after a nametag on a janitor’s uniform worn by Phoebe. The episodic nature of the season sees the other characters having multiple dates, many of which go wrong (Monica dates a minor in one episode). The recurring character of Janice is introduced as a girlfriend Chandler breaks up with in an early episode but frequently returns to through the ensuing ten seasons. At the end of the seasons, Chandler lets it slip that Ross loves Rachel. Rachel is caught off guard but finds that she feels the same way.
G. REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES
The study which has relationship with this study is a study conducted by Rosita Febia Sari (2005) from English Department of Sebelas Maret University entitled “an analysis of the functions of Tag Question employed by the characters in the films the matrix trilogy”. This research focuses on the investigation of the function of tag questions, why they are used and how the characters employ the certain functions of tag questions in the film.
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question; Uncertainty and confrontational tag usually have rising intonation while facilitative tag has falling one.
xlii CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. Type of the Research
This research is classified into descriptive qualitative research. Bodgan and Taylor in Moleong (2004:4) define qualitative research as a research that presents the descriptive data in the form of written or oral words of people and behavior which can be observed.
Surakhmad (2004:147) states that descriptive method is a method which talks about possibilities to solve an actual problem, by collecting data, arranging or classifying, analyzing, interpreting and drawing the conclusion.
In this case, I just collect and analyze the data then draws a general conclusion. Therefore the report of this research is a description of what I have found from the object of this research that is the dialogue of the film containing certain functions of tag questions.
B. Data and Source of Data
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C. Sample and Sampling Technique
Sample is related to the limitation of the number and the kind of source of data used in a research (Sutopo, 2002:54) and sampling technique deals with selection process in order to be focus in the research (ibid: 55). I haveconsidered the source of data in choosing sampling technique.
In conducting this research, I use total sampling technique. Surakhmad (1982) states that total sampling is a method of sampling technique where all data are used as the sample to make generalization towards the population research. I use total sampling techniques in this research since all of the data which contains tag questions are analyzed based on its function.
D. Equipment of the Research
In conducting this research, I use some equipment to collect the data to make the research process easier. Thus the result of this research can be more accurate. The equipments which I used in this research are the VCD of the film, a set of VCD player and a set of Television.
E. Technique of Collecting Data
In collecting the data, I did the following steps:
1. Replaying the VCD of friends TV shows season 1 by using a set of computer for a couple of times.
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3. Cross validating the data by transcribing the dialogues containing the certain functions of tag questions from the film into the form of dialogues list in order to match them with the transcript of the film.
4. Identifying the tag questions found in the film based on its function. 5. Classifying the data of the functions of tag questions.
6. Giving a code on each datum
F. Data Coding
In order to make the analysis easier, the data for the research were given codes. The data coding was given based on the order of datum, the kind of tag, and the number of the series.
Datum 12/ unc / fr 4
Monica: Thank you. So what does this Bob guy look like? Is he tall? Short?
Joey : Yep. Monica : Which? Joey : Which what?
Monica : You've never met Bob, have you?
Joey : No, but he's—
Monica : Oh my god, Joey, for all we know this guy could be horribly—
[Angela and Bob walk in. Bob is good-looking.]
12 : refers to the number of the datum Unc : refers to the function of tag question
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The function of tag questions that are used: Unc : uncertainty
Fac : facilitative Soft : softening Conf : confrontation
G. Technique of Analyzing Data
The technique of collecting data is carried out as follows:
1. Describing the data in the form of dialogues which contains the tag questions.
2. Describing the kinds of tag questions employed by the characters in the film.
3. Describing the context of situation in the dialogues of the film
4. Describing how the characters employ the functions of tag questions in the film.
5. Analyzing the kinds of the functions of tag questions employed by the characters in the dialogues of the film.
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CHAPTER IV
DATA ANALYSIS
A. INTRODUCTION
This chapter is the important part of the research as it contains the data analysis of the research which is conducted based on the theory presented in Chapter II in order to answer the problem statement in Chapter I by using the research procedure in Chapter III.
As it has been mentioned in the first chapter, the objective of this research is to reveal the functions of tag questions in friends TV shows season 1. It covers the description of the kind of tag questions’ function employed by the characters in friends TV shows season 1, how the characters apply it in the conversation and the reasons which make them employ certain type of the function of tag questions.
In achieving the goal, I arrange the analysis as follows: 1. Data description.
It shows the dialogues between the participants containing a certain function of tag questions.
2. Context of situation
It describes the setting of place, time, participant’s background and the happening situation when the tag question is uttered.
3. Data Interpretation
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B. DATA ANALYSIS
The analysis is arranged based on the kinds of the tag questions’ functions. There are four functions of tag questions found in the film, namely uncertainty function, facilitative function, softening function and confrontational function with different intonation.
1. Uncertainty function
Datum 04/ unc / fr 2 a. Data description
Mrs. Geller : Oh, Martha Ludwin's daughter is gonna call you. (Tasting a snack) Mmm! What's that curry taste? Monica : Curry.
Mrs. Geller :Mmmm!
Ross : I- I think they're great! I, I really do.
Mr. Geller : (to Ross) do you remember the Ludwins? The big one had a thing for you, didn't she? Lugwin will call Monica. The tag question occurs when Mr. Geller wants to get a confirmation from Ross about the Lugwins family.
c. Data interpretation
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verbal and non verbal which shows yes/no answer. Mr. Geller question is answered by Mrs. Geller which says that all of Lugwins’ daughters have feeling to Ross. Ross answers the statement by saying “aww mom”. The expression of Ross when answering the question shows that Ross is little bit shy with his mother’s statement. It means that Ross’ answers yes.
The uncertainty function can be seen from the way Mr. Geller says the utterance. Mr. Geller uses rising intonation in the tag. It means that he needs an answer from Ross to fulfill his uncertainty. His uncertainty can also be seen from the rising intonation he uses in the main clause. The rising intonation in the main clause indicates that he has little doubt about the truth of his utterance. It also indicates that Mr. Geller needs the answer from Ross.
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Geller. In this case, his position as father is a higher than Ross so he uses a tag question to get a confirmation from Ross rather than a direct question. This is so because his question is about personal problem. However, since their relationship as a father and son is close enough, the tag is also used to maintain the close relationship between them. Mr. Geller tries to uses this reason as a way to get an answer from Ross as he wants to reveal the personal feeling of Ross toward the Lugwins’ family.
Datum 07/ unc / fr 8 a. Data description
Shelley : Hey gorgeous, how's it going?
Chandler : Dehydrated Japanese noodles under fluorescent lights... does it gets better than this?
Shelley : Question. You're not dating anybody, are you, because I met somebody who would be perfect for you.
Chandler : Ah, y'see, perfect might be a problem. Had you said 'co-dependent', or 'self-destructive'…. I'm just gonna go flush myself down the toilet now- [backs out of the room] -okay, goodbye...
b. Context of situation
l c. Data interpretation
The tag employed by Shelley in the conversation above is a kind of tag which has uncertainty function. It is uttered by Shelley to make sure that Chandler has no girl now. It is a kind of tag which is used to confirm something. In this Case, Shelley offers a date for Chandler in Saturday night with somebody. Therefore she confirms it with Chandler that he has no girlfriend now. The uncertainty function can also be seen from the statement used by Shelley. She starts his statement with negative statement. It shows that she asks the information from Chandler.
Shelley employs the kind of tag with falling-rising intonation, which is in the main clause and in the tag itself. It shows that Shelley has already had the answer on his mind but she is still not sure about it. The rising intonation in the tag shows that Shelley needs a confirmation from Chandler while the falling intonation in the main clause shows that Shelley actually has the answer. Therefore, Shelley delivers it with rising intonation to shows her intention. This pattern, falling-rising intonation, leads to the fact that Shelley needs a yes/no answer from Chandler. Therefore, she delivers the tag question with rising intonation to strengthen her uncertainty.
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that the dialogue occurs in an informal situation with low formality. It can be seen from the way Shelley greets him. He greets Chandler by saying “hey gorgeous”. It is not possible for people who do not know well using such kinds of utterance.
Shelley’s tag question is also influenced by the close relationship between her and Chandler so that the tag question is used to maintain their relationship as friends. As the conversation purpose to get Chandler’s agreement to go on a date, Shelley tries to use their close relationship to know the status of Chandler whether he is single or already has a girlfriend. However, the response given by Chandler shows that Chandler is not able to answer the question. He tries to change the topic to rather than gives yes/no answer. However, Chandler finally gives response to Shelley’s offer when she continues her question “Do you want a date Saturday?”. It shows that their relation as friends is close enough.
Datum 08/ unc/ fr 8 a. Data description
Monica : Are these the shoes?
Rachel : Yes. Paolo sent them from Italy.
Ross : What, we-uh- we don't have shoes here, or...?
Joey :[Entering with Chandler] Morning. We ready to go? Chandler : Well, don't we look nice all dressed up?...It's stuff like
that, isn't it?
b. Context of situation
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next day. In the morning, all of the gangs are preparing to go to Monica’s and Ross grandmother’s funeral. While waiting for others, Rachel shows the shoes which is sent by her boyfriend, Paolo. Ross gives a bad response to it because he is jealous with Paolo. Then, Joey and Chandler come in. They all dressed up neatly, not like usual because it is a formal occasion. Therefore, Chandler comments it by delivering a tag question.
c. Data interpretation
Chandler delivers a tag question to comment their appearance in that occasion. It is uncertainty since it is used to seek the agreement from the addressee because actually he has known the truth. It is uncertainty since Chandler needs the answer from his friends. He invites either verbal or non-verbal response from his friends to agree with him.
The uncertainty sign can also be seen from the intonation which is used by Chandler. He delivers a tag question with falling intonation. It indicates that he doesn’t need the answer but only needs the agreement from his friends. The rising intonation of the main clause also supports the uncertainty of Chandler because it shows Chandler’s doubt. The intonation which is used Chandler proves that actually he has the answer on his mind but he is still not sure about it. Therefore, he delivers the tag question to ask his friend’s agreement. The way Chandler delivers his tag also shows the uncertainty tag. Chandler uses a low tone and a nice expression in delivering his tag. It is used as Chandler needs an answer from his friends.
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Besides, the informal situation of the dialogue also influences the choice of tag question used by Chandler. The informal situation makes the language been to the Rainbow Room? Is it real expensive? Chandler : Well, only if you order stuff.
Joey : I'm takin' Ursula tonight. It's her birthday.
Chandler : And your friend Phoebe?
Joey : Well, if she's my friend, hopefully she'll
understand. I mean, wouldn't you guys?
Chandler : Man if you tried something like that on my birthday, you'd be starin' at the business end of a hissy fit.
b. Context of situation
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Ross and Chandler agreement by saying “Well, if she's my friend, hopefully she'll understand. I mean, wouldn't you guys?”
c. Data interpretation
The tag question above serves as uncertainty function since it is used by Joey to the confirmation from his friends about his plan. Joey plans to have a date with Ursula in that night to celebrate her birthday. However, in the same night, Ross and his friends will give a surprise party to Phoebe. Joey is confuses because Ursula is Phoebe’s twin sister. Therefore, Joey delivers the tag question to get Ross and Chandler’s agreement about his decision to go with Ursula.
Joey delivers the tag question with a rising intonation. It is used to know the response of his friends about his decision to leave Phoebe’s birthday party. The statement is ended with a falling pattern which functions to show that actually Chandler has the answer on his mind. Thus, from this pattern it can be seen that Joey thinks that what he will do is true. However, his tag is used to know the opinion of his friends if he goes with Ursula. It can be seen from Joey’s expression in saying the utterance. His expression shows that he hopes a positive response from Ross and Chandler. Besides, he delivers the question with a low tone. It shows that Joey needs an answer from his friends so that he does not feel guilty to leave Phoebe’s birthday party. He also uses a nice expression in order to make his friends understand his decision to leave Phoebe’s birthday party.
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close relationship with his friends. It can be seen from the choice of words and the language style he uses. The statement itself also indicates that their relationship is close. He tells that Phoebe will recognize what he does because she is his friend. By delivering this kind of tag, Joey actually wants to make his friend agree with him. But he is wrong. Chandler gives an opposite response to Joey’s hope. The way Chandler response Joey’s utterance indicates the degree of intimacy between them. Chandler is not only giving disagreement to Joey’s utterance but also explaining what he will do if Joey does the same thing in his birthday. If their relationship is not close, Chandler will answer the question differently.
Datum 15 / unc / fr 19 a. Data description
Rachel : Okay, okay, I checked. We have: Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Cinnamon Stick, Chamomile, Mint Medley, Blackberry, and.. oh, wait, there's one more, um.. Lemon Soother. You're not the guy that asked for the tea, are you? [Guy shakes his head] Okay.
b. Context of situation
Rachel is in her working place, Central Perk. She comes to a guest and telling a menu for the day. She mentions the entire menu one by one while remembering it. The man looks confused. It makes Rachel think that the man has ordered something. So, she delivers a tag question to ask the confirmation from the man whether he orders a drink or not.
c. Data interpretation
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whether he asks a tea or not. It is uncertainty since Rachel needs a verbal action from the man to response her question.
Rachel uses the kind of tag with rising intonation. It means that Rachel needs a real answer from the boy to fulfill her uncertainty. Rachel’s uncertainty is also supported by rising intonation she uses in the main clause. The rising intonation in the main clause shows that Rachel is not sure about the truth of her assertion. Because of that, she delivers a tag question to show her uncertainty and to get the answer from the man. The purpose of rising-rising pattern used by Rachel in the main clause and in the tag is to strengthen the uncertainty of her statement.
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case, the relationship between Rachel and the guest are not close. Therefore, Rachel tends to use a tag question in getting the confirmation from the guest in order to make her question polite. It is true because people will use a tag question in a more polite way in a formal occasion than in casual ones. Thus, the appearance of the tag is also influenced by the formality scale in which the dialogue occurs in formal situation with a high formality.
Datum 16/unc/fr 19 a. Data description
Ross : Alright, I've gotta go. C'mon, Marcel! C'mon! We're gonna go take a bath. Yes we are, aren't we? Yes, we are. Chandler : They’re still just friends, right?
b. Context of situation
lix c. Data interpretation
In this datum, I find that the tag question used in this dialogue is used by Chandler to seek the agreement of his friends about Ross’ actions toward Marcel. In this occasion, Chandler sees that Ross treats Marcel like he treats a close friend. It makes Chandler amazed so that he wants to get a confirmation from their friends that Ross and Marcel are still just friends.
Chandler delivers a tag question with a falling intonation. It means that he only needs an agreement from his friends. He only needs a yes/no answer from his friends. The expression of his face also shows that he feels weird with Ross’ behavior. The intonation of the main clause, falling intonation, shows that Chandler actually has the answer on his mind. Therefore he delivers a tag question with falling-falling intonation to strengthen his statement. Besides, he wants to show that he only needs his friends to agree with him. Chandler uses a low tone and a curious expression in delivering his tag. He does so in order to invite his friends’ response toward his utterance. Meanwhile, his tag uncertainty is fulfilled by Joey who gives a sign that he agrees with Chandler.
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he is allowed to give a comment to his friend’s behavior directly even it is a negative comment. Thus, the tag question delivered by Chandler here is also used as an irony to criticize the way Ross treats Marcel.
Datum 20 /unc / fr 23 a. Data description
Monica : He is so amazing.
Rachel : Oh, I know. Look at him.
Joey : Ben, Ben, hey Ben. Nothing. I don't think that's his name. Phoebe : Oh, look, look, he's closing his eyes. [Screen goes blank]
Look, he's opening his eyes. [Picture comes back] Chandler : He doesn't do much, does he?
Ross : No, this is pretty much it. b. Context of situation
The dialogue occurs in a hospital. Ross, Monica and their friends are there to see Ross baby. Carol, Ross ex wife has just given a birth. The baby is called Ben. He is put in the incubator. Ross comes to the incubator to see his baby and tries to talks to him although the baby still cannot catch his utterance. He tells Ben that he will always be ready if Ben needs him. Then, all of his friends follow him. They are so amazing when looking at the baby. They notice everything that the baby does and give comment on it.
c. Data interpretation
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The way Chandler delivers the tag indicates the meaning of his tag. Chandler delivers the tag with a falling intonation. It means that he seeks an agreement from his friends that Ben doesn’t do anything. Chandler does not looking for an information because actually he has the answer on his mind. It can be seen from the intonation he uses in his main clause. He uses rising intonation. It shows that actually Chandler has the answer for his question. Chandler also uses low tone in expressing his surprise which indicates that he needs his friends to agree with him.
lxii 2. Facilitative function
Datum 01/fac/fr 1 a. Data description
Monica : Hi, come in! Paul, this is.. (They are all lined up next to the door)... everybody, everybody, this is Paul.
All : Hey! Paul! Hi! The Wine Guy! Hey!
Chandler : I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name. Paul, was it? Monica : (shows paul in) Two seconds.
Phoebe : Ooh, I just pulled out four eyelashes. That can't be good. b. Context of situation
Monica has a new boyfriend and she wants to introduce him to all of her friends. She brings him into her apartment when all of her friends are there. When Paul comes in, spontaneously their friends stand up and line up next to the door. Then, Monica mentions her boyfriend’s name, Paul. Paul greets them and he greets them back. The tag question occurs when Chandler tries to facilitate Paul by asking his name.
c. Data interpretation
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In this case, Chandler employs a facilitative tag with a falling intonation. It means that he actually has the idea about Paul’s name in his head. By giving the kind of tag, actually Chandler wants to invite Paul to have a contribution in the conversation. Chandler uses a low tone in delivering his tag to create a friendly impression. He makes an expression as if he is asking a question or confirmation. But the fact, it is his strategy to make Paul give a verbal action and join in the conversation. He does it because usually in the first meeting people feel little nervous to start a conversation. Therefore, Chandler facilitates Paul to have a contribution in the conversation.
In this dialogue, the purpose of Chandler’s tag question is to provide a smooth entry for Paul to join the conversation. Chandler wants to create an interaction with Paul because it is their first meeting. By delivering this kind of tag, Chandler actually wants to know more about Paul since Paul is Monica’s new boyfriend. This tag is used by Chandler to ask Paul’s verbal answer. But Paul is not cooperative enough. He gives a response to Chandler’s question by smiling. He does not giving yes or no answer.
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that it is a way of Chandler to invite his comment. It indicates that Chandler does not show his uncertainty.
Datum 02/ fac/ fr 1 a. Data description
Rachel : Isn't this amazing? I mean, I have never made coffee before in my entire life.
Chandler : That is amazing.
Joey : Congratulations. And while you're on a roll, if you feel like you gotta make like a Western omelet or something... (joey and chandler taste the coffee, grimace, and pour it into a plant pot) …although actually I'm really not that hungry... followed by Paul. They greet each other.
c. Data interpretation
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Chandler delivers the tag question with falling intonation in the tag and rising intonation in the main clause. It indicates that actually Chandler has known Paul’s name. He just wants to greet Paul with different way to show his style. His expression also does not show that he is not sure that the man is Paul. He delivers it with a low tone and a smiling face. Even after delivering tag, he is smiling. It means that the tag is only used to greet Paul not to ask information.
The purpose of Chandler’s tag question in this dialogue is almost same as the previous dialogue. It has the function to make Paul contribute in the conversation. By delivering this kind of tag, Chandler hopes that Paul will join in the conversation. Besides, he also wants to invite Paul to have a verbal action toward his utterance. The facilitative tag appears because the relationship between Chandler and Paul is not close so that Chandler facilitates Paul to make him join in the conversation. However, what Chandler’s has done is not work since Paul does not give any response or comment of his question. He just goes without perceiving it. It means that Chandler fails in facilitating Paul. Chandler’s failure is caused by the distant relationship between them. The reason is that this is their second meeting so that they do not know each other well. Paul does not answer Chandler’s question because he thinks that Chandler has known his name.
Datum 17/ fac/ fr 19 a. Data description
Rachel: [To Marcel] and I will see you tomorrow!
Ross: That's right, you're gonna spend tomorrow at Aunt Rachel's, aren’t you.
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Ross: 'Pwease, Aunt Monica, pwease?' Oh, unclench. You're not even gonna be there.
b. Context of situation
This dialogue occurs at the same time with the dialogue in datum 16/unc /fr 19. Ross asks Rachel to keep Marcel a whole day. It is one of Ross’ ways to get closer with Rachel. When Ross asks Marcel to go home, Rachel says that she will meet Marcel again in the next day. Then, Ross delivers the tag question to Marcel in order to give the information to Marcel.
c. Data interpretation
In this dialogue, Ross employs a tag question which serves function as facilitative. It is used by Ross to give the information to Marcel that he will be together with Rachel in the next day. It is not uncertainty since Ross does not seek a confirmation or an agreement from Marcel. Another reason is that Ross does not need the answer from Marcel.
Ross delivers a facilitative tag with a falling intonation. Ross just wants to give information to Marcel that he will ask Rachel to keep him for a full day because he has something to do. The falling intonation here is used to underline Ross statement. Besides, it also implies that Ross does not ask Marcel to give an agreement. From the expression of Ross, it shows that he wants to create a friendly manner to Marcel.
