An analysis of the functions of tag questions employed by the characters in “friends” tv shows season 1

Oleh :
Lilis Dwi Kristyaningrum - C0305043 - Fak. Sastra dan Seni Rupa

Abstrak This research was conducted to find out the functions of tag questions employed by the characters in friends TV Shows season 1and the way the characters employs certain function of tag question. It is also conducted to know the reasons of the characters to employ certain function of tag question. The research employed a Sociolinguistics approach with tag question as the topic of analysis. The research is a descriptive qualitative research which applies total sampling technique. All 20 dialogues containing tag questions in the film were taken as data. The data were analyzed based on Holmes’ theory of tag questions and social dimension, and also Dell Hymes’ theory of SPEAKING. After conducting the analysis, I find the result of the analysis as follows: First, there are four functions of tag questions employed by the characters in friends TV Shows season 1. They are uncertainty function, facilitative function, softening function and confrontational function. Uncertainty function is used to check the truth of speaker’s utterance. Facilitative function is used to invite the addressee’s contribution in the conversation. Softening function is used to soften the speaker’s directives or criticism toward the speaker, and the last, confrontational function is used to strengthen the negative force of the utterance in which it occurs. Second, the way the characters deliver certain function of tag question is different in each function. It can be seen from the tone and the face expression. Third, there are three factors that encourage the characters in the film to employ certain function of tag question; they are the context of situation in which the tag question occurs, the social dimension of communication and the relationship between participants.