Грамматика устной речи: хезитации, самокоррекция, незавершенные конструкции

🎯 Цели урока

К концу этого урока вы сможете:

• Понимать, чем грамматика устной речи отличается от письменной
• Распознавать и использовать естественные хезитации
• Применять стратегии самокоррекции в реальном времени
• Понимать функцию незавершенных конструкций
• Звучать более естественно в спонтанной речи

📖 Spoken vs Written Grammar

Ключевое различие: Written grammar планируется и редактируется. Spoken grammar производится в реальном времени, с ограничениями на планирование.

Основные характеристики устной речи:

1. Real-time production (производство в реальном времени)

• Нет времени на редактирование
• Думаем и говорим одновременно
• Ошибки и самокоррекция естественны

2. Interactive nature (интерактивность)

• Реакция на собеседника
• Совместное построение смысла
• Прерывания и overlaps

3. Contextual dependence (зависимость от контекста)

• Жесты и интонация дополняют смысл
• Shared knowledge снижает эксплицитность
• Deictic references (here, there, this, that)

4. Prosodic features (просодические особенности)

• Ударение и ритм несут значение
• Паузы структурируют речь
• Интонация передает отношение

🎤 Hesitation Phenomena (Феномены хезитации)

Что такое хезитация?

Hesitation — это пауза в речи, когда говорящий:

• Ищет нужное слово
• Планирует следующую часть высказывания
• Обдумывает формулировку
• Нуждается во времени для processing

Важно: Хезитации — это НЕ признак слабого английского. Они естественная часть speech production на ЛЮБОМ языке.

Types of Hesitation Markers

1. Filled Pauses (заполненные паузы)

Англоязычные:

• "Um" / "Uh" — самые частые
• "Er" / "Erm" — британский вариант
• "Mmm" — раздумье

Примеры в контексте:

"I think, um, we should probably, uh, reconsider the deadline."

Грамматическая позиция:

• Часто перед главным глаголом
• Перед сложными noun phrases
• В точках принятия решений в речи

Функции:

• Holding the floor — показывает, что вы еще не закончили
• Planning time — дает время подумать
• Uncertainty marker — показывает, что вы не уверены

Культурная заметка:

• Слишком много = неуверенность или непрофессионализм
• Слишком мало = может звучать rehearsed или robotic
• Native speakers используют um/uh примерно 6 раз в минуту в спонтанной речи

2. Discourse Markers (дискурсивные маркеры)

Well

• Начало ответа, особенно сложного или неоднозначного
• Softens disagreement
• Signals thinking

Примеры: "Well, I see your point, but..." "Well, it's complicated." "Well, let me think about that."

Грамматическая функция:

• Часто sentence-initial
• Не связан грамматически с остальным предложением
• Prosodic break после (пауза)

You know

• Appeals to shared knowledge
• Filler while thinking
• Softener

Примеры: "It's like, you know, really difficult to explain." "I was thinking we could, you know, try something different." "You know what I mean?"

Грамматическая позиция:

• Mid-clause interruption
• End of clause for confirmation
• Can appear almost anywhere

Частотность: Некоторые говорящие overuse (10+ раз в минуту) — может раздражать слушателей.

I mean

• Self-correction starter
• Clarification
• Reformulation

Примеры: "It was expensive, I mean, really expensive." "I think—I mean, I know—this will work." "I mean, what else can we do?"

Грамматическая функция:

• Introduces rephrasing
• Can interrupt own sentence
• Signals "let me clarify"

Like

• Approximation
• Quotative (вводит прямую речь)
• Filler (особенно у молодых speakers)

Примеры:

Approximation: "It took like five hours." "There were like twenty people there."

Quotative: "And she was like, 'No way!' And I was like, 'Seriously?'"

Грамматическая заметка:

• Quotative "like" заменяет "said" в неформальной речи
• Structure: Subject + be + like + quote
• Very informal, avoid in professional contexts

Filler: "I was, like, really confused." "It's, like, impossible to explain."

Sort of / Kind of

• Hedging
• Approximation
• Softening

Примеры: "I'm sort of worried about this." "It's kind of difficult to say." "I sort of think we should wait."

Грамматическая функция:

• Modifies verbs, adjectives, или entire clauses
• Reduces directness of statement
• Often reduced to "sorta" / "kinda" в быстрой речи

Let's see / Let me see

• Thinking aloud
• Checking information
• Planning

Примеры: "Let's see... I think it was on Tuesday." "Let me see... where did I put that?" "Hmm, let me see if I can explain this."

Грамматическая структура:

• Imperative form
• Often followed by pause
• Sentence-initial или as interruption

Actually

• Correction of assumption
• Contrast with expectation
• Emphasis

Примеры: "Actually, I disagree." "It's not blue, it's actually green." "I actually really enjoyed it."

Грамматическая позиция:

• Sentence-initial для correction
• Pre-verb для emphasis
• Can appear at multiple positions

3. Repeats and Restarts (повторы и перезапуски)

Simple Repeats: "I think, I think we should go." "The problem, the problem is that..."

Функция:

• Buying time
• Emphasis
• Nervousness

False Starts (ложные начала): "I was gonna—I wanted to say that..." "She told me—or actually, she asked me..."

Грамматическая структура:

• Начинает одну конструкцию
• Breaks off (обрывает)
• Starts новую конструкцию
• Original часто incomplete

Word Search (поиск слова): "I need the, uh, what's it called, the thing that... you know, the connector."

Компоненты:

• Initial attempt (the...)
• Hesitation (uh)
• Meta-comment (what's it called)
• Description (the thing that...)
• Appeal (you know)
• Success (the connector)

🔄 Self-Correction Strategies

Types of Self-Correction

1. Immediate Correction

Pattern: Error → immediate fix

Example: "I goed—went to the store." "She don't—doesn't like coffee."

Грамматический анализ:

• Produces incorrect form
• Recognizes error instantly
• Corrects without commenting
• May or may not pause

Common corrections:

• Verb tense: "I seen—I saw"
• Agreement: "He don't—doesn't"
• Word choice: "big—large problem"

2. Retroactive Correction

Pattern: Complete phrase → realize error → back up → correct

Example: "I talked to John yesterday. Or was it Tuesday? Yeah, Tuesday."

Грамматический анализ:

• Complete clause produced
• Pause для reflection
• Question или statement of doubt
• Corrected version
• Sometimes confirmation (yeah, right)

Markers used:

• "Or..." — introduces alternative
• "Actually..." — signals correction
• "I mean..." — starts reformulation
• "Sorry..." — apologizes for error

3. Other-Initiated Correction

Pattern: Speaker A says something → Speaker B questions → Speaker A corrects

Example: A: "I saw him on Friday." B: "Friday? I thought you said Thursday." A: "Oh right, Thursday. Sorry."

Грамматические features:

• Echo question (Friday?)
• Past tense report (you said)
• Acknowledgment (Oh right)
• Correction
• Optional apology

4. Reformulation

Pattern: Says something → decides to rephrase → gives alternative

Example: "It's difficult—well, not difficult exactly, more like challenging."

Грамматическая структура:

• Initial statement
• Hesitation marker (well, or...)
• Negation of original (not X)
• Hedge (exactly, really)
• Reformulation (more like Y)

Common patterns:

• "Not X, but Y"
• "Or rather..."
• "What I mean is..."
• "To put it another way..."

Self-Correction with Markers

"I mean" "The meeting is at 3—I mean, 3:30."

Function: Immediate correction marker

"Actually" "I live in Boston—actually, just outside Boston."

Function: Precision correction

"Or rather" "She's my colleague—or rather, my former colleague."

Function: Formal correction/refinement

"Sorry" "I saw him Tuesday—sorry, Wednesday."

Function: Apologetic correction

"Wait" "It cost $50—wait, no, $55."

Function: Stops narrative для correction

🔓 Incomplete Constructions

Why Sentences Stay Incomplete

1. Interruption

• Someone else starts talking
• External distraction
• Thought interrupted

2. Mutual Understanding

• Completion obvious from context
• Listener shows understanding
• Waste to complete

3. Politeness/Face-Saving

• Trailing off instead of direct statement
• Allowing listener to infer
• Avoiding commitment

4. Change of Mind

• Start to say something
• Decide not to
• Switch topics

Types of Incomplete Constructions

1. Ellipsis (эллипсис)

Definition: Omission of grammatically necessary words when meaning is clear from context.

Examples:

Subject ellipsis: A: "Going to the store?" B: "Yeah, need milk."

Full version: "Are you going to the store?" "Yeah, I need milk."

Auxiliary ellipsis: A: "Have you finished?" B: "Not yet."

Full version: "I have not finished yet."

Object ellipsis: A: "Did you call him?" B: "Tried to."

Full version: "I tried to call him."

Грамматическое правило: Ellipsis возможен когда:

• Information recoverable from context
• Previous mention in discourse
• Shared knowledge
• Economy принцип (efficiency)

2. Aposiopesis (апосиопезис)

Definition: Breaking off speech mid-sentence, often for dramatic effect или because completion is unnecessary/inappropriate.

Examples:

Threat implied: "If you do that again, I'll—"

Emotion overwhelming: "When I heard the news, I just—I couldn't—"

Politeness: "I don't want to say you're wrong, but..."

Common knowledge: "You know what they say about people who..."

Грамматическая структура:

• Начинает subordinate или main clause
• Breaks off at critical point
• Often with em-dash или ellipsis
• Pause или intonation change

3. Trailing Off (затухание)

Examples:

"I was thinking we could maybe..." "If you wanted to, we could possibly..." "I mean, if you're interested..."

Function:

• Softens suggestion
• Invites listener completion
• Reduces directness
• Face-saving

Grамматика:

• Often modal constructions (could, might, would)
• Hedges (maybe, possibly, kind of)
• Conditional structures (if...)
• Prosodic falling off

4. Anacolutha (анаколуф)

Definition: Starting a sentence with one construction, then switching to another.

Example: "The thing is—well, what I'm trying to say is that we need more time."

Грамматический анализ:

• Starts: "The thing is" (expecting complement)
• Breaks off (em-dash, pause)
• Restarts: "what I'm trying to say" (new subject)
• Completes with different construction

More examples: "If we just—I think we should reconsider." "When I was—my mother always said..." "The problem with—what we need to do is..."

Function:

• Natural in spontaneous speech
• Shows real-time planning
• Not error, but feature of spoken grammar

💬 Discourse Features of Spoken Grammar

1. Tag Questions

Function: Seeking confirmation, softening statements, involving listener

Structure: Statement + auxiliary + pronoun

Examples:

Genuine question: "You've finished, haven't you?" (Rising intonation—real question)

Confirmation expected: "It's cold today, isn't it?" (Falling intonation—expects agreement)

In hesitation context: "I think it's, um, Tuesday, isn't it?" (Uncertainty, seeking confirmation)

Грамматические правила:

• Positive statement → negative tag
• Negative statement → positive tag
• Auxiliary from main clause
• Subject becomes pronoun

Special cases: "I am right, aren't I?" (not amn't I) "Let's go, shall we?" "There's a problem, isn't there?"

2. Elliptical Responses

Q: "Are you coming?" A: "Might be." (Full: "I might be coming.")

Q: "Who ate the last cookie?" A: "Not me." (Full: "I did not eat it." / "It was not me.")

Q: "Coffee?" A: "Please." (Full: "Yes, I'd like coffee, please.")

Грамматика:

• Minimal response containing new information only
• Given information omitted
• Auxiliary или modal may remain
• Very common в casual conversation

3. Vague Language

Purpose: Approximation when precision unnecessary or impossible

Vague quantifiers:

• "I've told you like a million times."
• "There were loads of people."
• "It costs a few dollars."
• "We need some more time."

Vague category markers:

• "things and stuff"
• "sort of thing"
• "and everything"
• "or something"
• "or whatever"

Examples: "We need paper, pens, and stuff like that." "She was angry or upset or something." "It's a communication problem or whatever."

Грамматическая структура:

• Often end-positioned
• Conjunction (and, or) + vague marker
• Implies category without specifying all members

4. Headers and Tails

Headers — introduce topic before main clause

Example: "My sister, she lives in New York." "That movie we saw, it was really good." "John—he's always late."

Грамматическая структура:

• Noun phrase (topic)
• Comma или pause
• Pronoun referring back
• Main clause

Function:

• Pre-announcement of topic
• Processing time
• Emphasis

Tails — add information after main clause

Example: "She's really smart, your sister." "It was amazing, that concert." "He's a good guy, John is."

Грамматическая структура:

• Main clause
• Comma
• Referent clarification
• Sometimes with verb repetition

Function:

• Afterthought
• Clarification
• Emphasis

5. Question Tags для Hesitation

Using tags to buy time:

"It's, um, what do you call it, difficult, isn't it?"

Structure:

• Начинает statement
• Hesitation
• Meta-linguistic comment
• Completes statement
• Tag seeks validation

Another pattern: "We should, I don't know, maybe reconsider, shouldn't we?"

Function:

• Multiple hesitation points
• Tag reduces assertiveness
• Invites collaboration

🎯 Natural Hesitation Patterns by Context

1. Telling a Story

Pattern: Lots of temporal markers, pauses at plot points, checking listener engagement

Example:

"So I was, um, walking down the street, right? And I see this guy, and he's like, um, looking at me weird? So I'm thinking, you know, should I cross the street or whatever? And then—this is the crazy part—he comes up to me and he's like, 'Hey, don't I know you?' And I'm like, um, no? I don't think so? But then it turns out, like, we went to the same school or something."

Грамматические features:

• "So" marks начало и transitions
• "um" at decision points
• "like" as quotative и filler
• "right?" checks engagement
• Question intonation for dramatic effect
• "you know" appeals to shared understanding
• "or whatever" / "or something" vague endings

2. Explaining Something Complex

Pattern: Frequent self-correction, reformulation, checking understanding

Example:

"Okay, so imagine—well, actually, let me put it another way. Think of it like, um, like a network, right? Where each, uh, node—is that the right word?—each node connects to, I mean, it's connected to other nodes. And the connections, they're not random, they're—what's the term?—they're weighted? Yeah, weighted based on, you know, how strong the connection is."

Грамматические features:

• False starts ("imagine—well")
• Reformulation markers ("let me put it another way")
• Similes для explanation ("like a network")
• Meta-linguistic questions ("is that the right word?")
• Self-questioning intonation
• Word search ("what's the term?")
• Confirmation seeking ("yeah")

3. Expressing Disagreement

Pattern: Hedging, softening, lots of discourse markers

Example:

"Well, I see what you're saying, and you know, I kind of agree with some of it, but, um, I'm not sure I'd go that far. I mean, there's also the question of—well, you know what I mean. I guess what I'm trying to say is, maybe we should, I don't know, look at it from another angle?"

Грамматические features:

• "Well" softens disagreement
• Partial agreement first
• Hedges ("kind of," "I'm not sure," "I guess")
• "but" introduces disagreement gently
• Incomplete constructions ("there's also...")
• "I mean" signals reformulation
• Questions reduce assertiveness

4. Making a Difficult Decision Aloud

Pattern: Lots of internal debate, weighing options, thinking aloud

Example:

"So I could, um, I could go with option A, which would be, like, faster? But then again, option B is—wait, no—option B might be more, um, what's the word, reliable? I don't know. I mean, both have pros and cons. Maybe—no, actually, I think—yeah, I think I'll go with B. Or should I? Hmm."

Грамматические features:

• Repeated modals ("could... could")
• Alternative presentations ("but then again")
• Self-interruption ("wait, no")
• Word search
• Weighing language ("both have...")
• Multiple false starts
• Question tags to self
• Prosodic "hmm"

📊 Frequency и Acceptability

When Hesitation is Natural

✅ Appropriate contexts:

• Casual conversation
• Thinking aloud
• Spontaneous interviews
• Brainstorming sessions
• Personal narratives
• Complex explanations

When to Minimize Hesitation

⚠️ Use sparingly:

• Formal presentations
• Job interviews (excessive = unprepared)
• Academic talks
• Professional pitches
• Recorded content for broad distribution

Strategies для reducing hesitation в prepared speech:

1. Practice key sections
2. Have notes for complex parts
3. Pause silently instead of "um"
4. Use written transitions
5. Rehearse transitions between ideas

Cultural Differences

American English:

• Higher tolerance для casual speech markers
• "Like" very common в younger speakers
• "You know" frequent across ages

British English:

• "Sort of" / "kind of" more common than American
• "Right" as tag question more frequent
• "Erm" instead of "Um"

Academic/Professional:

• International audiences may interpret lots of hesitation as lack of expertise
• Some cultures value fluency more than naturalness
• Written-like speech may be expected

🎓 Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Identifying Hesitation Types

Listen to this transcript and identify:

"So I was, um, thinking about what you said, and, you know, I kind of—well, I don't completely agree, but I see your point. I mean, there's the issue of—wait, what was I saying? Oh right, the issue of timing. That's sort of problematic, isn't it?"

Identify:

1. Filled pauses: "um"
2. Discourse markers: "you know," "I mean," "wait," "oh right"
3. Hedges: "kind of," "sort of," "don't completely"
4. Self-interruption: "I kind of—well"
5. Tag question: "isn't it?"
6. Vague language: "sort of problematic"

Exercise 2: Natural Self-Correction

Practice correcting yourself naturally. Say aloud:

"I saw him on—what day was that?—I think Thursday." "The meeting starts at 3—no wait, 3:30." "She's from Boston—actually, Cambridge, technically."

Now create your own:

• Change a number
• Correct a day/time
• Correct a location
• Refine a description

Exercise 3: Softening Statements

Make these statements sound more natural/tentative:

Direct: "You're wrong." Natural: "Well, I'm not sure that's quite right, actually."

Direct: "That won't work." Natural: "I don't know if that would, um, really work in this case."

Direct: "I disagree." Natural: "Yeah, I mean, I kind of see it differently, to be honest."

Your turn: Take direct statements and add natural hedging, hesitations, discourse markers.

Exercise 4: Thinking Aloud

Practice thinking aloud while solving a problem:

"Okay, so if I need to, um, let's see... I need to calculate the, uh, what's it called, the total? Right, the total. So that would be—wait, do I add or multiply? I think—yeah, I think I add them. So that's, um, 45 plus 30, which is... let me think... 75?"

Practice with:

• Planning your day
• Deciding what to eat
• Solving a math problem
• Explaining a route

Exercise 5: Incomplete Construction Practice

Practice trailing off appropriately:

"Maybe we could, if you're interested..." "I was thinking perhaps we might..." "If it's not too much trouble, maybe you could..."

Context: Making suggestions politely

Your turn: Practice suggesting:

• Meeting time change
• Different approach to problem
• Going somewhere together

🔍 Advanced: Prosodic Features

Intonation in Hesitation

Rising intonation:

• Signals continuation: "I was thinking↗ that maybe we could..."
• Uncertainty: "Is it Tuesday↗ or Wednesday?"
• Checking understanding: "You know what I mean↗"

Falling intonation:

• Completion: "I think that's it↘"
• Certainty: "Yeah, definitely↘"
• Tag question expecting agreement: "isn't it↘"

Level intonation:

• Continuation expected: "So I was walking→ and then I saw→"
• List items: "We need milk→ bread→ and eggs↘"

Pause Length

Short pause (< 0.5 sec):

• Natural breathing
• Clause boundaries
• Before important words

Medium pause (0.5-1 sec):

• Thinking time
• Between ideas
• After questions

Long pause (> 1 sec):

• Difficult question
• Searching for words
• Dramatic effect
• May need prompting

In transcripts:

• , = short pause
• ... = medium pause
• [pause] = long pause

🔑 Key Takeaways

1. Hesitations are normal — native speakers use them constantly
2. Different markers have different functions — learn appropriate contexts
3. Self-correction shows engagement with accuracy, not weakness
4. Incomplete constructions are features of spoken grammar, not errors
5. Context determines acceptability — casual vs formal contexts differ
6. Practice with real speech — listen to podcasts, interviews, conversations
7. Balance naturalness и fluency — some hesitation = human, too much = problem
8. Cultural awareness matters — norms differ across English varieties
9. Prosody carries meaning — pauses и intonation crucial
10. Written transcripts look messier than speech sounds — that's normal

💡 Финальное задание

Record yourself (audio only is fine):

Task 1: Spontaneous explanation (2-3 minutes)

• Explain something complex (your job, hobby, recent news)
• Don't prepare—just talk
• Allow natural hesitations
• Record and listen back

Self-analysis:

• Count filled pauses (um, uh)
• Identify discourse markers used
• Note any self-corrections
• Find incomplete constructions
• Was it understandable despite "imperfections"?

Task 2: Planned vs Spontaneous (2 minutes each)

First: Prepare 30 seconds, then speak about "Why you're learning English" Second: No preparation, speak about "What you did last weekend"

Compare:

• Which had more hesitations?
• Which felt more natural?
• Which was more engaging?

Task 3: Natural conversation simulation

With partner or recording yourself:

• Tell a story with natural hesitations
• Explain something complex
• Express disagreement politely
• Make a suggestion tentatively

Evaluation criteria:

• [ ] Used appropriate discourse markers
• [ ] Natural self-correction when needed
• [ ] Hesitations didn't impede understanding
• [ ] Sounded human, not robotic
• [ ] Appropriate for context (casual conversation)