Modus Reflection as Condition for Commenting in Virtual Conversations

Abstract

Linguistics of response is a branch of dialog studies that focuses on response lines as part of a conversation, including conditions needed to implement the commenting intent in a virtual dialogue. According to the hypothesis, virtual commenting occurs when the initial line falls into the sphere of modus reflection of the native speaker. This condition realizes itself when the native speaker makes the decision to comment on an event. Modus reflection is a manifestation of the native speaker’s emotional and evaluative attitude to the original message. In this case, modus reflection appears as a metalinguistic activity. The descriptive analysis involved 614 response comments to an online news article entitled Subway Crossings: Street Gangs Where Flower Stalls Should Be. The research revealed three conditions when the commenting intent is realized in an online dialog: the initial line falls into the mode of agreement; the initial line falls into the mode of disagreement; the initial line falls into the neutral mode.