Chapter 6. Turn-initial particles in English

This chapter examines the English turn-initial particles oh and well . It begins with a consideration of their distinctive usages and functions in three basic sequential positions (first, second and third), arguing that both exhibit what Schegloff (1996) terms ‘positional sensitivity’. The chapter then considers some larger contrasts between the two particles, including distinctions between epistemic ( oh ) and action-projecting ( well ) functions, forward- ( well ) and backward- ( oh ) looking orientations, and their underlying semantic characteristics.