TAG QUESTIONS WITH PRAGMATIC MARKERS: RENAISSANCE TEXTS

Abstract

The paper deals with the tag question constructions, a part in which is represented by pragmatic markers – structures of variation composition: exclamations (why, tush), interjections (ha, o), adverbs (then, sure, already), modal-predicative structures (I thinke, I hope), and some others. The constructions with tag questions from Renaissance artworks (circa 1485-1650) are under analysis.
The linguistic material, sentences from the lines of the characters, has been selected from more than a hundred texts. Methods of theoretical and linguistic analysis of concepts on the subject under study, continuous sampling of the material under study, linguistic study of linguistic facts, comparative analysis have been used to study the linguistic material.
The study of the sentences, which include not only tag questions, but some other pragmatic markers, shows that the placing of the markers in the sentences is characterized by some tendencies. The main is that pragmatic markers, being phatic components of the constructions, form a a kind of a frame for the informative part of the sentence. The authors do not break the integrity of the sentence, that is served as an anchor for the tag, and place all markers at the beginning or in the final of the construction. Building a pragmatic marker into the anchor is not usual and is an individual peculiarity of the author.
The study can be useful to conduct further researches in the field of some theoretical disciplines – theoretical grammar, historical pragmatics, historical syntax of the English language, as well as in the study of changes in spoken interaction, synchronic functioning of tag-questions and pragmatic markers during the Renaissance period. Also the material can be used to provide lectures in Language History, English Literature.
The variety of predicative and non predicative pragmatic markers in tag question constructions from the texts which were created in 1485-1650 period, their composition in the sentences and the peculiarities of placement have not been investigated before.