Free Standing and Prefacing achā (okay) in Urdu: A Conversation Analysis

This paper aims at investigating the functions of alignment token ‘ achā’ in ordinary Urdu conversation.Conversation is a phenomenon that can not be progressed without the proper understanding of the prior turn. Listeners use different types of responses to the prior turn in order to show acknowledgement. The same alignment token with different intonation patterns has different meanings.The data was collected by audio and video recordings of everyday Urdu conversation .Employing the methodology of conversation analysis the article proves that in Urdu the alignment token “ achā ” (okay) performs different functions in different situations. Keywords : achā ,Alignment Token, Urdu,Conversation DOI : 10.7176/JLLL/52-04