Date: Sun, 22 Oct 1995 22:10:30 -0400

From: Duane Price Thx23[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: Re: statements spoken as if it were a question



Larry wrote:



we're talking about speaker's intention: to make a statement without

appearing too

"assertive"



I first noticed this speech habit when I had a professor, a woman, who did it

constantly.

I noticed, however, that in normal conversation outside the classroom it was

much

less prevalent for her. I came to understand it, from context, to be a sort

of subtle

request for affirmation, or perhaps a search for comprehension: as if she

were saying,

"You follow me?" after each of those statements.