Toward a functional framework for discourse particles: A comparison of well and so

In this paper, a comparison is made between the discourse functions of two of the most frequently occurring and versatile discourse particles in spoken English, namely well and so, to provide an account of the similarities and differences between the uses of the two particles in naturally occurring data. Following a brief introduction which sets the background to the present study, a two-part analysis which contrasts in detail the discourse functions of well and so both qualitatively and quantitatively in the data with reference to previous work will be presented. This contrastive analysis serves to further our understanding of the ways in which well and so work in discourse and to demonstrate that the functional framework developed in the present study supplies a robust yet flexible platform on which comparisons could be drawn. This suggests the potential of applying the present functional framework to other discourse particles for a holistic approach to the description and interpretation of these linguistic items. KG.