Response cries and syntax

Response cries have been described as ritualized acts in human communication that come off as visceral reactions to local events (Goffman, 1978). Despite evidence that they are implemented at specific interactional moments, such as pain expressions in response to doctor's elicitation (Heath 1989) or surprise tokens after news or stories (Wilkinson & Kitzinger 2006), research has yet to explore how they are organized in relation to syntax and incorporated into turn design. This study addresses this omission and targets the relationship between syntactic constructions and response cries. Based on data from a variety of contexts, such as family meals, sports training, and performance rehearsals, we demonstrate how response cries are produced in ways that reflexively elaborate co-occurring stance-taking constructions and embodied displays to make a syntactic whole. We argue that syntactic theories should include such structures in their scope, lest they fail to account for the way syntax emerges in response to interactional requirements. • Response cries are followed by specifications on the event or the speaker reaction. • Response cries are often placed initially in turn-constructional units. • Response cries can constitute turn-extensions. • Response cries can be positioned within syntactic units in progress. • The bodily motivated response cries and verbal language are mutually organized.