The study examines the function of queries in oral communication. It develops a typology of query forms that can be differentiated depending on the preceding communication and the respective inquiring function. The study shows that, among others, the functions of queries are to help solve comprehension and expectation problems, as well as to store information. In counseling interviews, queries can be found especially at the interface between the presentation of the problem and the development of the solution, and it is here that they take on important functions in conducting conversation. The innovative discourse-linguistic study is based on extensive, empirical language data.
Author Biography
Martina Rost-Roth, Freie Universitat Berlin.
