Initiation, response and follow-up (IRF) exchanges produced by a student and his tutor in an internet-based tutorial interaction have been analysed in terms of the multifunctional characteristics of each utterance. Different functions, related to different purposes, were observed in the IRF moves performed by the student. The control over the interaction was shared by both student and tutor. The simultaneous and interwoven occurrence of different chains of IRF exchanges is suggested as a typical structural feature of tutoring via the internet which helps us to account for the distinctive nature of teaching and learning dialogues using e-mail.