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Pragmatics and Speech Acts

Thanks: Research Notes

American Thanks

The Anatomy of American Thanking

  1. Thanks beforehand (for a promise, offer, invitation) - thanks afterwards (for a favor, invitation (afterwards))
  2. Thanks for material goods (gifts, services) - thanks for immaterial goods (wishes, complaints, congratulations, information)
  3. Thanks for some action initiated by the benefactor - thanks for some action resulting from a request/wish/order by the beneficary
  4. Thanks that imply indebtedness - thanks that do not imply indebtedness

Above passages from Hinkel (1994), p. 78.

 

Reference

Hinkel, E. (1994). Pragmatics of interaction: Expressing thanks in a second language. Applied Language Learning, 5(1), 73-91.

 

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