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Quiz 2

Brief Introduction toPragmatics

What is pragmatics?

A dialogue
without pragmatics

Pragmatics is a branch of linguistics that studies
the relation between language and its users andcontext
Today we will focus on an essential part ofpragmatics — speech act, felicity condition, andcooperative principle.

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A: Can you open the window?

•B: Yes, I can. Bye.

John Searle’s
felicity conditions

Speech act•••

Traditionally, philosophers of language
are interested in how to determine
whether a statement is true or not.
But a language is not (just) for statingtruth. We do things with words.

John Searle’sfelicity conditions••

In order for an utterance to be appropriate (ratherthan just true), the following conditions must bemet:•

Propositional content condition•

Preparatory condition•

Sincerity condition•

Essential condition

John Searle’sfelicity conditions

Searle’s felicity conditions for requesting (A: action, S: speaker,H: hearer, e: linguistic expression)•

Propositional content: future act A of H•

Preparatory: (a) S believes H can do A (b) It is not obviousthat H would do A without being asked•

Sincerity: S wants H to do A•

Essential: the utterance of e counts as an attempt to get H todo A

Too abstract :(•(×Propositional content) Please visit usyesterday.

•(×Preparatory) (speaking to a 3-month-old baby)
Pass me the salt.

John Searle’s
felicity conditions

John Searle’s
felicity conditions••

By asking/stating if the felicity conditions aremet, you can indirectly achieve your goal,
instead of directly using imperatives

But real conversations are
far more flexible•

A: Aren’t you coming to the party tonight?

•B: I have an eight o’clock class.

Instead of saying “pass me the salt”, you can:•(Ask the propositional content condition)
Would you pass me the salt?

•(Ask the preparatory condition) Can you passme the salt?

•(State the sincerity condition) I would like you
to pass me the salt.

Grice’s cooperative principle•

People obey certain maxims (or rules) when they
are having cooperative conversation.

Grice’s maxims•

Don’t say more than required. / Don’t say lessthan required. (The maxim of quantity)•Don’t say what is false. / Don’t say what lacks
evidence (The maxim of quality)•Be relevant. (The maxim of relation)•Avoid obscurity. / Avoid ambiguity. / Be brief. /Be orderly. (The maxim of manner)

Grice’s maxims•

Grice doesn’t claim that people always obey
maxims, nor that we should obey these maxims.

•Rather, it is possible to violate principles on
purpose e.g. tell a lie.

Huang (2000) Anaphora: A CrossLinguistic Study. Oxford: Oxford (simplified version by Huang 2000)
University Press.

Grice’s maxims•

You can also opt out of maxim:•

As far as I know, .. (hedge about quality)•As you probably know, .. (hedge about quantity)•

By the way, .. / I’m not sure if this is relevant, ..
(hedge about relation)•

I’m not sure if this makes sense, .. (hedge aboutmanner)

Grice’s maxims•

When the speaker apparently violates a maxim, You
have two options:
1. Assume that the speaker is not cooperative (e.g.
the speaker is trying to deceive you)
2. Assume that the speaker is still cooperative, andtry to guess what the speaker means.

•2 is very common — and the speaker can exploit it(the speaker can say something indirect, assumingthat you can take this option)

Irony•(As you step into an obviously messy room)
What a clean room!

•

Apparently against the maxim of quality••

It’s not that I don’t like it.

•

Apparently against the maxim of manner.

A: Aren’t you coming to the party tonight?

•

A: Susan is such a ***.

•

B: I have an eight o’clock class.

•

B: What a lovely day today!

•Apparently against the maxim of relation.

•Apparently against the maxim of relation.

Tautology•

War is war. / Boys will be boys.

•

仕事は仕事だ。(A job is a job (?).)•

Which maxim does this apparently violate?

•

How can you make sense of it?

Reaction paper•

A: Where’s Mary?

•

B: The light in her office is on.

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Which maxim does this apparently violate?

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How can A make sense of it?