Seminar 3.

1. Defining Pragmatics.

2. Cooperation and Implicature.

3. Hedges.

4. Speech Acts and Events.

5. Conditions for the Performance of Speech Acts.

6. Direct and Indirect Speech Acts.

7. The Subject Matter of Contact Linguistics.

8. The Field of Contact Linguistics.

Practical tasks

Ø The following sentences make certain implications. What are they? (The first one has been done for you)

1. The police ordered the minors to stop drinking.

Implicature: The minors were drinking.

2. Please take me out to the ball game again.

Implicature: _____________________________________

3. Valerie regretted not receiving a new T-bird for Labor Day.

Implicature: _____________________________________

4. That her pet turtle ran away made Emily very sad.

Implicature: _____________________________________

5. The administration forgot that the professors support the students. (Cf. “The administration believes that the professors support the students,” in which there is no such presupposition)

Implicature: _____________________________________

6. It is strange that the United States invaded Cambodia in 1970.

Implicature: _____________________________________

7. Isn’t it strange that the United States invaded Cambodia in 1970?

Implicature: _____________________________________

8. Disa wants more popcorn.

Implicature: _____________________________________

9. Why don’t pigs have wings?

Implicature: _____________________________________

10. Who discoveredAmerica in 1492?

Implicature: _____________________________________

Ø Answer the Following Questions:

1.What is the structure and word order of the following sentences?

How many times do I have to tell you to clean your room?

A. Declarative

B. Interrogative

C. Imperative

Who is that man over there?

A. Declarative

B. Interrogative

C. Imperative

Could you lift 200 pounds?

A. Declarative

B. Interrogative

C. Imperative

How many times do I have to tell you to clean your room?

A. Assertion

B. Question

C. Directive

Who is that man over there?

A. Assertion

B. Question

C. Directive

Could you lift 200 pounds?

A. Assertion

B. Question

C. Directive

3. Classify the sentences: sentence type, speech act, direct or indirect (only choose three answers).

The water is too cold in the swimming pool [Friend says to friend in a public swimming pool].

A. Declarative

B. Interrogative

C. Imperative

D. Assertion

E. Question

F. Directive

G. Indirect

H. Direct

It is too cold in this house [Husband says to wife].

A. Declarative

B. Interrogative

C. Imperative

D. Assertion

E. Question

F. Directive

G. Indirect

H. Direct

Jane says to her mother: “I wonder why Frank (her brother) didn’t come home today”.

A. Declarative

B. Interrogative

C. Imperative

D. Assertion

E. Question

F. Directive

G. Indirect

H. Direct

Can you pass the salt?

A. Declarative

B. Interrogative

C. Imperative

D. Assertion

E. Question

F. Directive

G. Indirect

H. Direct

I noticed that the car hasn’t been washed yet [Father says to son].

A. Declarative

B. Interrogative

C. Imperative

D. Assertion

E. Question

F. Directive

G. Indirect

H. Direct

It sure is a beautiful day.

A. Declarative

B. Interrogative

C. Imperative

D. Assertion

E. Question

F. Directive

G. Indirect

H. Direct

4.Whichmaximis violated, thus resulting in an implicature?

Woman: Did you bring enough food for the party?

Man: I’d say that you made just the right amount – if a couple of hundred people show up.

A. Maximof Quality

B. Grice’sMaximof Relation

C. Grice’sMaximof Quantity

Susan: Are you coming to the movies tonight?

Elizabeth: Do I look like I have any free time?

A. Maximof Quality

B. Grice’sMaximof Relation

C. Grice’sMaximof Quantity

Corey: Do you think Mary is pretty?

Jeff: Let’s just say that I wouldn’t vote for her in the local beauty contest.

A.Maximof Quality

B. Grice’sMaximof Relation

C. Grice’sMaxim of Quantity

Laura: I don’t believe any men are coming to visit today, Mother.

Amanda: What? Not one? You must be joking! Not one man? It can’t be true! There must be a flood! There must have been a tornado!

A.Maximof Quality

B. Grice’sMaximof Relation

C. Grice’sMaxim of Quantity

A: How are you today?

B: Well, my car is not working too good right now and to tell you the truth, I don’t have very much money. In fact, I don’t know how I’m going to pay my bills this month.

A.Maximof Quality

B. Grice’sMaximof Relation

C. Grice’sMaximof Quantity

James: Do I look fat?

Leslie: Have you thought about working out or joining a health spa?

A.Maximof Quality

B. Grice’sMaximof Relation

C. Grice’sMaximof Quantity