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Abstract Adopting the methodology of conversation analysis and interactional linguistics, this study explores some interactional uses of the interjectional response token a in natural Mandarin conversation. An investigation of the data reveals that a is primarily used in response to informings or extended tellings and fulfills the following three interactional functions: (1) conveying the speaker’s change in epistemic status; (2) working as a forward-looking newsmark; (3) indicating that some newly received information is contrary to the speaker’s expectation. It is also suggested that both the phonetic features of a and its sequential position are crucial factors that contribute to the interpretation of its meaning and exert influence on the construction of the next turn.
Liu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.