Turn-taking Rules

In conversation, Participants could not take the control as they want. Thus, there must be a set of rules governs when a speaker takes the turn, gives turn, or keeps it. These rules are proposed to make sure that there is only one participant who speaks at a time in order to minimize gaps and overlaps in each turn change. Thus, Sacks et al. propose a set of rules governing the turn-taking. These rules have ordered options and operate at the initial TRP. The following rules are considered to be the basic rules that govern turn construction:

1. For any turn, at the initial transition-relevance place of an initial turn-constructional unit:
   
   a) If the turn-so-far is so constructed as to involve the use of a 'current speaker selects next' technique, then the party so selected has the right and is obliged to take next turn to speak; no others have such rights or obligation, and transfer occurs at that place.

b) If the turn-so-far is so constructed as not to involve the use a ' current speaker . selects next' technique, then self-selection for next speakership may, but need . not, be instituted; first starter acquires rights to a turn, and transfer occurs at . that place.

c) If the turn-so-far is so constructed as not to involve the use of a ' current . speaker selects next' technique, then current speaker may, but need not . continue, unless another self-selection.

2. If, at the initial transition-relevance place of an initial turn-constructional unit, neither 1a nor 1b has operated, and, following the provision of 1c, current speaker has continued, then the rule-set a-c re-applies at the next transition-relevance place, and recursively at each next transition-relevance place, until transfer is effected.

(Sacks, Schegloff, Jefferson, p704)

So, the first rule is applied on the first TRP and it has three options. The First option states that if the current speaker chooses the next speaker, then the next speaker is obliged to take the turn and the current speaker stop. The second option states that if the current speaker does not select the next speaker, then any other party willing to speak may self-select. The first speaker gains the right to the next turn. The third option states that if the current speaker does not select the next speaker and no party self-select, so the current speaker may but need not continue. The second rule is applied on the subsequent TRP and states that if neither the first option nor the second can be applied nor the current speaker continues, then all rules should be re-applied on the next TRP until the transfer is achieved. These rules apply in order which means that the later rules only come into play if the earlier ones have not been invoked.