SUPPORTIVE FELLOW-SPEAKERS AND COOPERATIVE CONVERSATIONS -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Table of contents -- Acknowledgements -- NOTATIONAL CONVENTIONS -- Introduction -- 1.1. Starting point and preliminary review -- 1.2. Guide to corpus, procedure and terminology -- 1.2.1. Corpus -- 1.2.2. Procedure -- Handling the discourse topic -- 2.1. Introduction -- 2.2. Describing the discourse topic -- 2.2.1. Asking about the discourse topic: What are you talking about? -- 2.2.2. Answering: We have been talking about... -- 2.2.3. Topic subjects and connected speech acts -- 2.2.4. Conclusion -- 2.3. Coherence in everyday conversation -- 2.3.1. Introduction -- 2.3.2. Coherence -- 2.3.3. Topical coherence -- 2.4. Topical actions -- 2.4.1. On the complexity of topical actions -- 2.4.2. INTRODUCING A TOPIC -- 2.4.2.1. When to introduce a new topic -- 2.4.2.2. Topic introduction in the initial phase of an interview -- 2.4.2.3. Speech subjects and preliminary actions in the initial phase of everyday conversation -- 2.4.2.4. Topic introduction as a non-complex procedure -- 2.4.2.5. Topic introduction as a complex procedure -- 2.4.2.6. Linguistic means of topic introduction -- 2.4.2.7. Conclusion -- 2.4.3. CHANGING A TOPIC -- 2.4.3.1. Topic change as a complex topical action -- 2.4.3.2. CHANGING A TOPIC VS SHIFTING A TOPIC -- 2.4.3.3. Types of topic change -- 2.4.4. The normal case: CHANGING A TOPIC by mutual consent -- 2.4.4.1. Introduction -- 2.4.4.2. How - and when - to change a topic -- 2.4.4.2.1. Preparing and effecting the topic change -- 2.4.4.2.2. Topic change and speaker change -- 2.4.4.2.3. Three options for CHANGING A TOPIC -- 2.4.4.2.4. Topic change following speaker change -- 2.4.4.2.5. Some reasons for (not) CHANGING A TOPIC -- 2.4.4.2.6. Conclusion -- 2.4.4.3. Controlling the conversation by CHANGING A TOPIC.

2.4.4.3.1. CHANGING A TOPIC as a multiple action -- 2.4.4.3.2. Topic continuity -- 2.4.4.3.3. Limitations on topic selection -- 2.4.5. The special case: DIGRESSING FROM A TOPIC -- 2.4.5.1. A preliminary look at the fundamental features of digression -- 2.4.5.2. Analysis I: 'Looped' topic structure -- 2.4.5.3. Analysis II : 'Bracketed' topic structure -- 2.4.5.4. Types of digression and their restrictions -- 2.4.5.4.1. Three restrictions for digression -- 2.4.5.4.2. Comprehension-securing digression -- 2.4.5.4.3. Spontaneous digression -- 2.4.5.4.4. When to digress -- 2.4.5.5. Linguistic means of digression -- 2.4.5.5.1. Marking the beginning of a digression: by the way and incidentally -- 2.4.5.5.2. Marking the end of a digression: anyway -- 2.4.5.6. Controlling the conversation by DIGRESSING FROM A TOPIC -- 2.4.6. SHIFTING A TOPIC -- 2.4.6.1. Fundamental features of topic shift -- 2.4.6.2. Controlling the conversation by SHIFTING A TOPIC -- 2.4.7. CLOSING A TOPIC -- 2.4.7.1. Ways of CLOSING A TOPIC -- 2.4.7.2. BREAKING OFF A TOPIC -- 2.5. The role of topics and topical actions in controlling everyday conversation -- Recipient action: the role of the hearer and the secondary speaker -- 3.1. Introduction -- 3.2. Describing the participant roles -- 3.2.1. Introduction -- 3.2.2. Speaker change -- 3.2.3. Turn-taking -- 3.2.4. The participant roles 'primary speaker', 'secondary speaker' and 'hearer' -- 3.2.4.1. A first approach based on the analyses of two conversation extracts -- 3.2.4.2. Proposing a description based on participant action -- 3.2.4.3. Elaborating on the description of the participant roles -- 3.3. Taking note: the hearer GIVING A HEARER SIGNAL -- 3.3.1. 'HEARING' and 'SPEAKING' as hearer -- 3.3.2. Describing the hearer signal -- 3.3.2.1. A preliminary look at the function of the hearer signal.

3.3.2.2. Fundamental features of the hearer signal -- 3.3.2.3. Some basic principles of describing the hearer signal -- 3.3.2.4. The basic function of the hearer signal -- 3.3.3. Hearer signals and the hearer's endeavour for agreement -- 3.4. STATING A POSITION: the secondary speaker MAKING A MINOR SPEAKER CONTRIBUTION -- 3.4.1. Introduction -- 3.4.2. The reactive speaker contribution: a description based on participant action -- 3.4.3. STATING A POSITION as a complex action -- 3.4.4. Speaker contributions supporting the primary speaker -- 3.4.4.1. Analysing four conversation extracts: a first approach -- 3.4.4.1.1. Introduction -- 3.4.4.1.2. Extract I -- 3.4.4.1.3. Extract II -- 3.4.4.1.4. Extract III -- 3.4.4.1.5. Extract IV -- 3.4.4.2. Three types of speaker contributions supporting the primary speaker -- 3.4.4.2.1. SUPPORTING: a general account -- 3.4.4.2.2. SUPPORTING by READOPTING or REPEATING -- 3.4.4.2.3. SUPPORTING by EVALUATING or DECLARING ONE'S ATTITUDE -- 3.4.4.2.4. SUPPORTING by COMPLETING, SUPPLEMENTING or PARAPHRASING -- 3.4.4.2.5. Conclusion: REPRODUCING and ANTICIPATING -- 3.4.5. Speaker contributions not supporting the primary speaker -- 3.4.6. The secondary speaker's preference for contributions supporting the primary speaker -- Striving for mutual agreement: a particularity of the type of everyday conversation analysed -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- NAME INDEX -- SUBJECT INDEX.