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The Clause as an Exchange

Clause as an exchange usually appears through interpersonal meaning in which people


communicate each other to exchange their opinion or other certain purposes. In this
interaction, people need to consider what kind of word that they want to use. Based on
their necessity to consider the word in communication, there are meanings through which
social relations are created and maintained. These interpersonal meanings are realized in
the selection from the system of mood. By using Mood the listeners are expected to
understand what kind of information the speaker wanted to address.
In human interaction there are 4 main Exchange that usually happen, :
1) Offer
If speaker offers some goods or service
Example : Do you want some coffee?
Respond : + (accept): Yes, please.
- (refuse): No, I just have had one
2) Statement
If speaker talk or state about something
Example : I think it will be rain
Respond : + (pro): Yes, I think so.
- (contradict): I dont think so
3) Command
If speaker demand or order you to do something
Example : Can you pass me the sugar
Respond : + (undertake): There you are (passing the sugar) - (refuse): Sorry, but
I cant reach it.
4) Question
If speaker ask some information
Example : Do you know where Andy live?
Respond : + (answer):In Trafalgar square.
- (disclaim): Sorry, but I dont
know where he lives
In responding the speaker, listeners have freedom to decide what they should do in giving
the respond. Speakers are aware of the degree of latitude addressees have for responding.
To restrict the addressees discretion a bit, the speaker can add a Mood tag to an
utterance.
Can you pass me the sugar, wont you?
I think it will be rain, isnt it?
Mood tags have function of explicitly signaling that a response is required, and what kind
of response it is expected to be in the exchange of information between human.

The Mood Element


Mood element usually appears in the verbal encounter sentence that create an absurd
conversation. Absurd in this case means listener or observer of certain conversation cant
recognize what kind of activity (verb) and who did such activity (subject). The Mood
element is clause exchange that help listener to understand about what kind of activity
(verb) and who did such activity (subject) in those absurd conversation.
The Mood element consist of two parts :
1) The Subject, Which is realized by a nominal group
2) The Finite element, Which is part of the verbal group
Example :
C: I didnt
M: Who did?
C: Michael did
I

didnt

Who

did

Michael

did

Subject

Finite

Mood

The remainder of each clause, if there is a remainder, is called the Residue.


It

wasnt

That

will never come off here

Subje
ct
Finite
Mood

Michael

Residue

The finite element is one of the small number of verbal operators expressing tense,
modality and polarity.
Finite verbal operators:

Temporal:
past

present

future

did,was

does,is

will,shall

had,used to has

would,should

Modal:
low

median

high

can,may

will,would

must,ought to

could,might is to,was to

need,

(dare)

has to,had to

Negative Counterparts:
didnt, wont, cant, wouldnt, mustnt
The finite element has function of locating an exchange with reference to the speaker and
making a proposition something that can be argued about. It does this in three ways:
Through primary tense, modality, and polarity.
1). Primary Tense
We can argue over when an event did or will or should occur.
That special order came yesterday.
Has it arrived already?
Or
We needed it last Friday.
2). Modality
Indicates judgment of the probabilities
The special order may come tomorrow.
It had better!
Or
But we placed the order only three days ago!

3). Polarity
Positive or negative responds toward exclamation or statement.
Theres a unicorn in the garden! No, there isnt.
Theres no lofe on Mars.
There might be.

Finiteness combines the specification of polarity with the specification of either temporal
or modal reference to the speech event.
You shouldnt be here

negative polarity, median modality

He wasnt well

negative polarity, past tense

The subject is that upon which the speaker rest his case in exchanges of information, and
the one responsible for insuring that the prescribed action is or not carried out in
exchanges of goods and services.
Pandas eat bamboo (dont they)
Ill make some toast (shall I)
Turn that radio down (will you)
Pandas, I, you are the ones on which validity of the information is made to rest in
each clause in turn. Note thet validity doesnt equal truth value; Turkeys eat bamboo.
Turkeys is Subject even though the statement is untrue.

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