Predicative pragmatic markers functioning in the dialogue of Ch. Dickens characters

Merkuryeva Natalia

The work deals with dialogic unities composed with sentences including predicative structures called pragmatic markers; phrases like I think, I hope, I believe, I am sure are under analysis. The lexical and grammatical variety of the markers are shown, and their placing in retorts sentences for beginning, developing and finishing a conversation, and functioning as the means of creating emotional speech, filling different kinds of pauses, showing speech habits of the characters are investigated. The linguistic material is taken from the dialogues of Ch. Dickens novel “Christmas Carol”. Some conclusions about the diversity of predicative pragmatic markers which were widespread in the middle of XIX century are made, and the using of the markers, as English dominant communicative features manifestation, by different social classes representatives is discussed.

Keywords:pragmatic markers, historical syntax, spoken interaction, authorial styles.