Comparison Points

The language used in screenshot 1 contains lots of short sentences; usually someone making a point followed by another person’s reaction. This pairing effect called ‘adjacency pairs’ can be observed throughout the chat where multiple utterances are often linked.
The style in screenshot two is quite the opposite; large, full sentences with less use of abbreviation, no use of emojis and proper use of punctuation. The use of more saturated sentences (in this case used to describe something) allows the sender to convey their point in greater detail.
The language is also of a much lower register in screenshot 1. This can be seen from the use of ‘taboo’ language, swearing, the use of the symbol ‘@‘ instead of the word ‘at’ as well as the use of emojis.
There is the occasional use of emojis in the second chat however they are only used to convey an emotion that would not otherwise be
Another noticeable difference between the two is the frequency at which each utterance is posted. This is arguably because of the number of people in the chat, however it could also be because each person does not want to feel left out of the conversation. As a result, there are many examples of elision throughout the group chat. There is no such problem in screenshot 2 as there is a very relaxed nature to the chat.
There are many examples of elision within screenshot 1. This is used to convey a point quicker as, in this case, some feel a pressure to reply quickly.

	Created by tomw27 about 9 years ago

WhatsApp language analysis