164 A Grammar of Spoken English Discourse
key and, thus, their readings did not help the hearer by signalling the
change in discourse focus.
(8) ↑sepTEMber the eLEVenth was the cul\MINation //
N V d N
of what they WANTED to \DO // [T2-Sn-6]
p w+ N V V’ Ø #Tr’s production of example (9) restates and expands the target state
achieved in the immediately previous context; the content of increment (9)
is not contrary to the previously generated discourse expectations. Tr’s
selection of initial high key projects a context where his hearer is explicitly
made aware of the signifi cance of the restatement. He signals that the
expansion realizes a change in topic from the signifi cance of how the
countries are to be governed to the signifi cance of what a new form of
governance means. He continues the new topic for a further eight incre-
ments. The other readers did not select high key and thus projected a
context where the distinction between how the countries are to governed
and the signifi cance of the new form of governance is presented as a single
topic with the second point elaborating the fi rst.
(9) in ↑OTHer \WORDS // PEOple werent GOVerned even... //
phr N V V' (A)
EIther by reLIGious faNAtics or SECular dic\TAtors // [T2-Tr-33]
A+ P dº e N c dº e N #(10) ↑BRItain s joined with a\MERica //
N V V’ P+ N
in the supPRESsion of \/ISlam // [T2-Dc-57]
P+ d N P N #In example (10) Dc’s selection of high key does not appear to signal
information contrary to the previously generated discourse expectations
but instead functions to introduce a new topic. It is not only America which
has falsely been accused of suppression of Islam but also Britain. In her
next four increments Dc illustrates why the accusation is false. All of the
other readers with the exception of Emi do not select high key and thus,
project a context where it has been previously understood that Britain as
well as America has been falsely accused. Not surprisingly, this was also the
meaning that Tony Blair construed.