A speaker begins to say something but then stops or restarts; this is known as what?

• A. False start
• B. Ellipsis
• C. Appraisal language
• D. Discourse marker

Answer: (A)

In spontaneous speech, people often begin an utterance, hesitate, and then restart with a revised form. This is called a false start. It shows the speaker’s planning and repair as they search for the right wording. For example, someone might say, I was going to say—um—the meeting is at three, then continue with the corrected phrasing.

Ellipsis is about omitting words, not about starting and stopping. Appraisal language is evaluative language expressing judgment, not the act of self-correcting. Discourse markers are words that help manage the flow of talk (like well, you know, anyway) but don’t describe the act of starting, stopping, and restarting an utterance.