CC BY
4Research BIB / Index Copernicus
PRAGMATIC FUNCTIONS OF INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
Turakhonova Badia Omonillayevna
UzSWLU, Teaching English methodology department
ABSTRACT
Interrogative sentences are often understood as questions designed to elicit information. However, their functions extend far beyond this primary purpose. This study examines the pragmatic roles of interrogative sentences within discourse, focusing on how they contribute to social interaction, politeness, and rhetorical effects. By analyzing their use in various contexts, the research highlights the multifaceted roles interrogative sentences play in communication. These functions include eliciting information, maintaining social rapport, engaging audiences, and expressing politeness or authority. The findings underscore the importance of interrogative sentences in shaping meaning andfostering interpersonal connection.
Key words: pragmatics, sentence types, pragmatic function, social rapport, rhetorical discourse, politeness theory.
INTRODUCTION
Interrogative sentences are central to human communication, serving as tools for interaction, negotiation, and meaning-making. While their primary role is to seek information, pragmatics—the study of how context shapes language use—reveals that interrogative sentences have diverse and dynamic functions. These sentences play an essential part in establishing social connections, maintaining conversational flow, and conveying subtle meanings.
Understanding the pragmatic roles of interrogative sentences is critical for appreciating their versatility in language. This study explores the different pragmatic functions of interrogative sentences, focusing on their roles in eliciting information, managing social relationships, expressing politeness, engaging audiences, and more.
METHODS
This research uses a qualitative approach to analyze the pragmatic functions of interrogative sentences. Data were drawn from real-life conversational examples, literary texts, and existing linguistic research. The study categorizes interrogative sentences based on their pragmatic functions and examines their use in various contexts, including casual conversations, professional interactions, and rhetorical discourse.
RESULTS
The analysis identified several key pragmatic functions of interrogative sentences, which are summarized below:
Research BIB / Index Copernicus
Eliciting information
The primary function of interrogative sentences is to gather information. Questions such as "What time is the meeting?" or "Where is the nearest grocery store?" directly request knowledge from the listener.1 However, speakers often frame questions in indirect ways to maintain politeness, such as "Could you tell me where the store is?".
Establishing social rapport
Interrogative sentences help to form and maintain social relationships. For example, small talk often includes questions like "How are you?" or "What's new?". These questions are less about seeking information and more about fostering connection and demonstrating interest in the interlocutor.2 Expressing politeness and indirectness
Interrogative sentences often function as polite requests. Examples include "Could you pass the salt?" or "Would you mind helping me with this?". Such forms soften the request and reduce its imposition on the listener.3 Challenging or critiquing
Rhetorical questions are used to challenge or critique. For instance, "Do you think this is acceptable?" or "How can you justify that claim?" are designed to provoke reflection or critique rather than elicit a straightforward answer.4 Engaging the audience
Interrogative sentences are used rhetorically to engage audiences in public speaking or storytelling. Questions such as "Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue?" invite the listener to think actively about the topic being discussed.6 Seeking confirmation or clarification
Questions like "You meant 3 p.m., right?" or "Did you say you wanted tea?" are used to clarify or confirm information, ensuring mutual understanding.5
Speakers sometimes use interrogative sentences to express uncertainty or openness, such as "Is this the best way to solve the problem?". This invites collaboration or alternative perspectives.7 Exerting authority or control
In some contexts, interrogative sentences are used to assert authority, such as "Have you completed your homework?". While framed as questions, these often function as indirect reminders or commands.8 DISCUSSION
The findings demonstrate that interrogative sentences play a wide range of pragmatic roles, far beyond their grammatical function of seeking information. These functions are influenced by context, speaker intention, and cultural norms. For
Research BIB / Index Copernicus
instance, their role in establishing social rapport underscores their importance in relational dynamics, while their use in engaging audiences highlights their rhetorical effectiveness.
Additionally, the study reveals that interrogative sentences can simultaneously fulfill multiple pragmatic functions. For example, a question like "Could you help me with this?" serves both as a polite request and as a way to maintain social harmony. This multifunctionality underscores the complexity of interrogative sentences and their central role in effective communication. CONCLUSION
Interrogative sentences are indispensable in human interaction, fulfilling diverse pragmatic functions that go beyond mere information-seeking. They enable individuals to connect, challenge, clarify, and express themselves in nuanced ways. Understanding these roles enriches our comprehension of language use and its impact on social and rhetorical contexts. Further research could explore the cross-cultural variations in the pragmatic use of interrogative sentences, shedding light on how cultural norms shape language practices.
REFERENCES
1. Levinson, S. C. (1983). Pragmatics. Cambridge University Press.
2. Brown, P., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge University Press.
3. Grice, H. P. (1975). Logic and conversation. In Syntax and Semantics (Vol. 3, pp. 4158). Academic Press.
4. Lakoff, G. (1973). Questions as a discourse strategy. Language in Society, 2(3), 453-467.
5. Clark, H. H., & Schaefer, E. F. (1989). Contributing to discourse. Cognitive Science, 13(2), 259-294.
6. Tannen, D. (1984). Conversational Style: Analyzing Talk among Friends. Oxford University Press.
7. Searle, J. R. (1969). Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Cambridge University Press.
8. Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction Ritual: Essays in Face-to-Face Behavior. Pantheon Books.
