A Corpus-based Analysis On The Meta-functions Of Discourse Markers You Know And I Mean

Discourse markers are embodied in all aspects of daily communication.The correct understanding and use of discourse markers play an important role in people’s effective communication.The discourse markers you know and I mean are often mentioned and used in English texts,especially in spoken texts,and their functions have always been the research direction that linguists pay attention to,but most scholars mainly study them separately.There are few comparative studies on the meta-functions of you know and I mean.Based on Halliday’s Meta-functional theory in his Systemic Functional Linguistics,the lines of Young Sheldon are chosen to form the research discourse and the Brown Corpus are chosen as a comparative discourse in this study.By using Wordsmith 7.0 to retrieve the discourse markers you know and I mean in the research discourse,their ideational,interpersonal and textual functions are analyzed.In this research,firstly,the basic meanings of the discourse markers you know and I mean are explored from a diachronic perspective,and the changes in their functions are summarized during the evolution.Then,the similarities and differences between the three meta-functions of the discourse markers you know and I mean are compared and analyzed in this research.Based on Halliday’s three meta-functional theory,the transitivity,mood system and cohesion of discourse markers you know and I mean are analyzed.Through meaning analysis,the conceptual meaning evolution of discourse markers you know and I mean becomes clearer.Through the analysis of transitivity,it is found that these two discourse markers are mainly embodied in the material process,mental process and verbal process;through the analysis of mood system,it is found that they are mainly used in the indicative mood and interrogative mood,and the main functions of these two discourse markers in interpersonal communication are summarized;and through discourse cohesion analysis,it is found that both discourse markers you know and I mean have the function responding to context.The results of this study can help people to have a deeper understanding of the conceptual meaning and meta-functions of discourse markers you know and I mean.Through analysis,this research can also provide some guidance for people to use them correctly in English learning and communication.