Discourse Markers: Single word/phrase/sound 

• well, oh well, now, look, now look, right, all right, okay, well then, well now, now then, right then, all right then, okay then, yes, no.
• Oh, ah, ə:, əm, hm.

Study examples below. Understand how discourse markers help to manage starting trouble.

Utter all examples below 4–5 times aloud:

The exercise will help you to make yourself comfortable to use discourse markers technique to manage starting trouble:

1. Well:

-To initiate responses by indicating that you’re about to say something.

E.g.:

X: It’s no good apologizing now. ~ Y: Well – I told him that myself.

X: I gave him a piece of my mind. ~ Y: Well – that won’t get you very far.

-To express your acceptance of, or reservation or doubt about something:

In responses:

E.g.:

X: Harry says he knows them. ~ Y: Well – that’s all right then.

X: He’s very good at this kind of work. ~ Y: Well – is he really?

X: He didn’t have any money on him then. ~ Y: Well – now I know why he didn’t buy it.

X: Will he be back in time? ~ Y: Well – I am not sure.

As part of your own text:

E.g.:

He said it tasted very nice. Well – I don’t dispute that.

He went and sat beside her. Well – I don’t know why he did that.

They’ve promised to install it. Well – it’s all very well to make promise. But…

-To indicate that you wish to get on with your narrative (that is, to initiate mid-stream utterances).

E.g.:

I didn’t ask the silly fool. Well – do you know what happened?

He hasn’t definitely refused. Well – he only said he had some difficulties.

-To initiate an utterance, explaining or justifying something that you’ve just said.

E.g.:

He behaves in an uncontrolled way. Well – he throws things at everyone and keeps shouting.

I don’t think he’ll be able to do it. Well – he has never done it before + and he doesn’t have the basic knowledge.

-To initiate an utterance, modifying or correcting something that you’ve just said.

E.g.:

It’s no good asking either of them. Well – you may ask them + but don’t expect anything.

That officer asked me for a loan. Well – a bribe, really.

-To indicate that you wish to end the conversation.

E.g.:

Well – that’s about all.

Well – thank you for all you’ve done.

Well – I must leave now.

-To initiate a suggestion, criticism or correction in an inoffensive way.

E.g.:

Well – let’s go for a walk.

Well – you shouldn’t have shouted at him like that.

Well – it was five meters, actually – not three meters.

- ‘well’ at medial position: 

E.g.:

If that’s so – well – he’ll miss the train.

She told me you’d be – well – dropping in to see me.

I was happy – well – grateful that they did it.

Note: ‘Well’ is not used at final position.  It’s only used initially and medially.

2. Oh well:

-You can use this marker to initiate an utterance that would show that you’re accepting an unpleasant situation.

In responses:

E.g.:

X: H-e’s going to be your boss from now on. ~ Y: Oh well + it isn’t as bad as all that.

-As part of your own text:

E.g.:

They’re going to raise the bus fares. Oh well + you can’t do anything about it.

3. Now

-To introduce an additional piece of information before you can continue your narrative.

E.g.:

Deepika hadn’t told me about it till then. Now + that was a little strange.

He says she broke it. Now + he has nothing against her + personally.

-To introduce a contrast.

E.g.:

Rohit has no interest in these things. Now + Francisco is a different sort of person.

That’s only a temporary job. Now + why don’t you try for this other one.

4. Look & Now look

-You can use these markers to draw the attention of the hearers to what you’re going to say. These are signals to the hearers that you’re going to say something important.

E.g.:

Look + Ankit + you mustn’t raise any objections.

Look + She was very keen on it.

This is a courier for him ++ Look + you must give it to him personally.

I was a bit upset at that time ++ Look + you mustn’t take it seriously.

He hasn’t even glanced at them ++ Now look + don’t these things interest him?

They want it by tomorrow ++ Now look + I just can’t quite manage it.

5. Right.

-You can use this marker to draw the attention of the onlookers/hearers to what you’re going to do/say,

E.g.:

Right + let’s see what he has got in this bag.

Right + let’s arrange the flowers first.

Right + what topic should we take up today?

Right + bring it over here.

Right + let’s get on now.

6. All right & okay

-You can use these two markers to initiate an utterance, challenging or threatening someone.

E.g.:

All right + What do you mean by that?

All right + do it if you can.

Okay + will you repeat that?

Okay + show it once again.

Note: You can use ‘well’ also in the same way.

7. Well then, well now, now then, right then, all right then, okay then

-You can use these markers to indicate that you’re going to continue with your narrative. So they help you initiate midstream utterances.

E.g.:

There were three people in that room ++ well then + one of them was Mark’s

You must mix these two together ++ Well now + don’t use any water yet.

He said he didn’t see her ++ Now then + if that’s true + where did she go?

I’m glad he came ++ Right then + did he say anything particular?

You didn’t do it? ++ All right then + what did you do?

There are about twenty of us ++ Okay then + let’s decide who should do what?

8. Yes

(You see, in casual style, native speakers of English often use ‘yeah’ instead of ‘yes’, where ‘yes’ can be used as a discourse marker. Note this: ‘yeah’ is pronounced ‘yeh’, and not ‘yee’):

-To introduce objections, statements, opinions or remarks.

In these situations, speakers occasionally use ‘oh yes’ place of ‘yes’.

E.g.:

X: He’s a lousy fellow. ~ Y: Yes + but he’s very dependable.

X: How do you feel about it? ~ Y: Yes + there’s something in what they say.

X: I like this color, ~ Y: Yes + but I like blue better.

X: Lots of people don’t like it. ~ Y: Yes + but you should have listened to her.

X: He is an MA. ~ Y: Yes + but he doesn’t have any teaching experience.

X: They’re worried about it. ~ Y: Yes + they shouldn’t get worked up + about such a small matter.

Note: From these examples, you can note one thing: You can use ‘yes’ in front of negative idea units as well as positive idea units.

-To initiate a replanned utterance.

E.g.:

I want him to – yes + keep it away.

We needn’t have – yes + there was no need to feel anxious about her.

I think you should - yes + buy that one.

-To introduce something you forgot to say and have just remembered. Here ‘ah yes’, and ‘oh yeah’ are also common.

E.g.:

I wanted to tell you about – yes + that book you borrowed.

I don’t remember it now + ah yes + it was about group effort or something.

He told me about something called oh yeah + ‘ikbana’.

-To initiate an utterance, emphasizing or confirming something you’ve just said.

E.g.:

It’s a fine place + yes + a very fine place.

It’s absolutely monstrous + yes + there’s no doubt about it.

9. No.

-You can use ‘no’ also in the same way as ‘yes’ is used above. Just as ‘yes’, you can use ‘no’ also in front of negative idea units as well as positive idea units.

E.g.:

X: He can’t possibly have finished it ~ Y: No + he’ll take it up only tomorrow.

X: He may not have meant to say it. ~ Y: No + it just slipped out of him.

Note: ‘yes’ and ‘no’ can also be used as filler-words.

10. ‘oh’ 

-To introduce a response or comment on something that someone had just said.

E.g.:

X: Look what I’ve brought for you. ~ Y: Oh – you shouldn’t have bothered.

X: He’s going to give us a party. ~ Y: Oh – would you believe it!

-To introduce a comment on something that you yourself have just said

E.g.:

I went to his house yesterday. Oh – what a big place!

I don’t like the man. Oh – the way he behaves!

-To express surprise, grief, pain, annoyance, joy etc.

E.g.:

Oh + are you sure?

Oh + what a pity!

Oh + I can’t bear it.

Oh + the very idea of it!

Oh + that’s great!

Oh + is that so?

Oh + there you are, John.

Oh + why doesn’t she make up her mind?

Oh + that’s different.

Oh + no one listens to him.

Oh + hello, Anita.

Oh + I’m so tired.

Note: There’s one more important use to which fluent speakers often put ‘oh’ when they’re often use it as a hesitation-sound. Speakers usually utter ‘oh’ when they’re not sure of the facts or when they’re searching (mentally) for the right word,

E.g.:

There were only about – oh – 200 people there.

It happened in – oh – 1950 or so.

They came here by about – oh – 6.15 or so.

We saw the – oh – ‘sumo’ wrestling.

He’s working there as an – oh – account executive.

He’s practicing – oh – what’s it called – ‘aikido’.

You must meet – oh – whatsisname – Dr. Katari.

11. ah

-To initiate an utterance showing agreement with, or acceptance or understanding of, what the previous speaker has said.

E.g.:

X: It wasn’t a great deal of trouble. ~ Y: Ah – I ought to have a shot at it, I think.

X: I’m awfully sorry ~ Y: Ah – forget it.

X: That’s Kritika standing there. ~ Y: Ah – yes.

-To initiate a comment on, or an objection to, what the previous speaker has said.

E.g.:

X: It’s very important. ~ Y: Ah – but not as important as this.

X: From now on + I’ll be concentrating mainly on administration. ~ Y: Ah – it’s high time somebody did that here.

-To initiate a comment emphasizing what you yourself have said or to add an additional piece of information that’ll emphasize what you’ve just said.

E.g.:

I said nothing of the kind. Ah – nothing at all.

He has again refused. Ah – how terribly annoying for everyone.

He had to do it. Ah – he had no other choice.

-To initiate expressions showing sympathy, pleasure, pain and other feelings.

E.g.:

Ah – he must have suffered a lot.

Ah – what a lovely day for the picnic!

Ah – splendid!

Ah – super!

Ah – that’s the spirit!

-To initiate an expression that’ll show that you’ve just noticed something.

E.g.:

Ah – it has turned green.

Ah – it has become hot.

Ah – he is not there now.

Ah – it moved now.

-To address someone whom you’ve just noticed.

E.g.:

Ah – Caryn, there you are!

Ah – Nora – when did you come?

Note: Just as ‘oh’, ‘ah’ is also frequently used as a hesitation sound.

-Speakers usually utter ‘ah’ when they’re trying to remember something or are trying to decide what to say next.

E.g.:

He comes from a place called – ah – Ruritania.

I think you have to sign at – ah – four places.

There’s no reason for – ah – not starting it.

They were very – ah – good at it.

12. ə: & əm

As you know ‘ə:’ and ‘əm’ are the chief hesitation-sounds in spoken English.  You can also use them as discourse markers. And as discourse markers, they perform the following roles:

-To attract the attention of the hearers before speaking.

E.g.: ə: & əm

ə: + Mario + the meeting is at four.

ə: + try the nearest hotel, then.

əm + why not write and warn them?

əm + show me those papers.

-To initiate responses to direct questions and to introduce your own contribution to a conversation. (Mostly, to introduce a new topic). Here ə: and ‘əm’ will let the hearers know that you’re trying to decide what to say, and will prepare the hearers for your response.

E.g.:

X: Are you letting him get away with it? ~ Y: ə: – you want me to do something?

X: I thought she had given up ~ Y: əm – do you know what happened the other day? Well …

X: It was bitterly cold there. ~ Y: ə: – I had a similar experience some time back.

X: Does he mean it? ~ Y: əm – I don’t know.

13. Hm

-To indicate that you’re puzzled by something.

E.g.:

Hm – it beats me how he got this idea

Hm – there must be something funny going on.

What I can’t understand is – hm – why did he leave that behind?

It’s quite strange – hm – the way he rejected the offer.

-To initiate utterances that’ll show that you’re seriously thinking about something.

E.g.:

Hm – I’ll give you a reply later.

Hm – That seems to be a good idea.

I don’t know – hm – what they’re going to say.

I think it was in – hm – 1950 or so.