Pre-second insert expansion (sequence)

Encyclopedia of Terminology for CA and IL: Pre-second insert expansion (sequence)
Author(s):	Olivia H. Marrese (University of Colorado, Boulder) (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6162-267X)
To cite:	Marrese, Olivia H. (2023). Pre-second insert expansion (sequence). In Alexandra Gubina, Elliott M. Hoey & Chase Wesley Raymond (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Terminology for Conversation Analysis and Interactional Linguistics. International Society for Conversation Analysis (ISCA). DOI: []

A pre-second (insert expansion) is an insert sequence that occurs after a first-pair part that “addresses the range of contingencies attendant on the production of a second pair part” (Clift 2016: 83); namely, the ability to respond appropriately to the first-pair part is predicated on the information that comes from the pre-second insert sequence. In contrast to a post-first insert sequence, the pre-second insert sequence is not repairing an issue of hearing, speaking, or understanding from the first-pair part. Instead, the pre-second insert sequence is establishing the contingencies relevant to the production of an appropriate second-pair part. As such, pre-second insert sequences are by and large type-specific, as they are conditioned on the type of first-pair part produced and the type of second-pair part that is due (Schegloff 2007: 106).

Pre-second insert sequences commonly occur as question and answer sequences. For instance, in the following example taken from Merritt (1976), the pre-second question “Are you twenty-one?” (line 2) is used to determine the employee’s response to the customer’s original request made in line 1, “May I have a bottle of Mich?”. The employee’s ultimate response in line 4, the base second-pair part to the original request in line 1, is contingent on the customer being of legal drinking age in the United States (which they are not, hence the refusal to grant the request).

(Merritt 1976: 333, cited in Levinson 1983: 304)

01  A:  Fb->   May I have a bottle of Mich?
02  B:  Fins-> Are you twenty one?
03  A:  Sins-> No
04  B:  Sb->   No

Another example, from Schegloff (1972), is shown below, in which B has invited A to her house (line 3), and A states that she doesn’t know where B’s house is (line 6-7), essentially soliciting directions.

(Schegloff 1972: 107, 2007: 107)

01  Bel:          You know, I have [a house, a big garden-
02  Ann:                           [Yes.
03  Bel:          Why don’t you come and see me some[times.
04  Ann:                                            [I would like to.
05  Bel:          I would like you to. Let me [just-
06  Ann:  Fb->                                [I don’t know just where
07          ->    the- uh- this address [is.
08  Bel:  Fins->                         [Well where do- which part of
09           ->   town do you live.
10  Ann:  Sins->  I live at four ten east Lowden.
11                (2.0)
12  Bel:          Well, you don’t live very far from me.
13         Sb->   If you go on the State (1.0) High- no if you go out part the
14                courthouse [to Elmhurst.
15  Ann:                     [Yeah.

In order to provide directions to her house, B launches an insert sequence in line 8 to determine where A lives. Upon receipt of that information (line 10), B is then able to produce the second-pair part (lines 13-14) that was due from the original first-pair part (lines 6-7).

Multiple pre-second insert sequences often occur in service encounters, for example, when a caller calls 911, the call-taker must establish a variety of contingencies to determine their ability to grant the caller’s request (e.g., the severity of the situation, their location, identifying factors, etc; see Zimmerman 1992).

Additional Related Entries:

• Adjacency pair
• Insert expansion (sequence)
• Post-first insert expansion
• First-pair part
• Second-pair part
• Other-initiated repair
• Repair
• Sequence

Cited References:

Clift, R. (2016). Conversation Analysis. Cambridge University Press.

Levinson, S. C. (1983). Pragmatics. Cambridge University Press.

Merritt, M. (1976). On Questions Following Questions in Service Encounters. Language in Society, 5(3), 315-317.

Schegloff, E. A. (1972). Notes on a Conversational Practice: Formulating Place. In D. Sudnow (Ed.), Studies in Social Interaction (pp. 75–119). Free Press.

Schegloff, E. A. (2007). Sequence organization in Interaction: A Primer in Conversation Analysis (Vol. 1). Cambridge University Press.

Zimmerman, D. H. (1992). The interactional organization of calls for emergency assistance. In P. Drew & J. Heritage (Eds.), Talk at Work: Social Interaction in Institutional Settings (pp. 418–469). Cambridge University Press.

Additional References: