What is a preferred second part?

Definition
	A preferred second part is a second part of an adjacency pair that
	consists of a sort of response to the first part that is not avoided by participants, and is less likely than a dispreferred second part to be formally marked by such features as delays prefaces, and accounts.

Discussion
	Preferred second parts are frequently indistinguishable from prearrangements except by context.

Examples
	An acceptance in response to a request, offer, or invitation An agreement in response to an assessment An expected answer in response to a question A denial in response to blame

Generic
	A preferred second part is a kind of
	What is a second part?

Source
	Levinson 1983 332–336

Context for this page:

Concept module: preferred second part
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): P
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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