Chapter 4
Responses to polar questions in Polish
Using data from naturally occuring Polish conversations this chapter demonstrates how speakers of Polish
answer polar questions. It offers a detailed conversation analytic examination of two response formats, particularly in their
unexpanded form: (i) particle responses, which are used for confirming the terms and the action agenda of the question and
which display the participants’ understanding of the status of the question as subsidiary to a larger course of action and
(ii) repetitional responses, which are understood to do more than simple confirmation (e.g., to fullfil requests). By
identifying the interactional circumstances for the choice of a particular format of a response, the chapter highlights the
importance of social action as key to building and understanding polar question-answer sequences in Polish.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Questions and responses in Polish: Prior research
- 3.Data and method
- 4.Responses to polar questions in Polish: Analysis
- 4.1Particle responses: tak, nie and no
- 4.2Repetitional responses
- 5.Concluding remarks
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Acknowledgment
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Notes
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References