Discourse
The two notable features of NZE discourse are the use of High Rising Terminal into- nation contours (HRTS) and the pragmatic particle eh. Non-New Zealanders can find it confusing if their question is answered with a statement with rising intonation. If the response to the question ‘Where’s the nearest gas station?’ is ‘There’s a garage down the road and round the cornerT’ where T indicates a rising pitch, the questioner is likely to decide that the local doesn’t actually know the answer and go off to ask someone else. Groups of HRTS often occur at the start of a narrative, presumably when the nar- rator is making sure that they have the listener’s attention, and again round the resolu- tion and evaluation. They seem to be a way of establishing rapport with the listener (see Holmes 1990). Initially it was noticed that young women were the most prolific users of HRTS, but HRTS are now used by both men and women of all ages. HRTS seem to be a particular feature of spoken Maori English.