Chapter 10: Pragmatics

Question 1

pragmatics

Answer 1

the study of what speakers mean, or “speaker meaning”; the study of “invisible” meaning, or how we recognize what is meant even when it is not actually said or written.

Question 2

physical context

Answer 2

the situation, time or place in which words are used

Question 3

linguistic context (co-text)

Answer 3

the co-text of a word is the set of other words used in the same phrase or sentence. (e.g. if the word bank is used with other words like steep or overgrown, we know what bank is meant)

Question 4

deictic

Answer 4

expressions such as tomorrow and here; from the Greek word deixis, which means “pointing” via language.

Question 5

person deictic

Answer 5

us, them, those idiots

Question 6

spatial deictic

Answer 6

here, over there

Question 7

temporal deictic

Answer 7

now, last week

Question 8

reference

Answer 8

an act by which a speaker (or writer) uses language to enable a listener (or reader) to identify something.

Question 9

inference

Answer 9

is additional information used by the listener to create a connection between what is said and what must be mean (e.g. Picasso is in the museum, we saw Shakespear in London)

Question 10

anaphora

Answer 10

use of pronouns (it) and noun phrases with the (the puppy) to refer back to something already mentioned.

Question 11

antecedent

Answer 11

the first mention of someone or something later referred to via anaphora

Question 12

cataphora

Answer 12

similar to anaphora, but reversing the antecedent-anaphora relationship, often beginning with a pronoun and a descriptive noun phrase later

Question 13

presupposition

Answer 13

when we talk about an assumption made by the speaker (or writer)

Question 14

constancy under negotiation

Answer 14

a test for presuppositions that involves comparing a sentence with its negative version and identifying which presuppositions remain true in both

Question 15

pragmatic markers

Answer 15

they can be used to mark a speaker’s attitude to the listener or to what is being said. (e.g. you know, I mean, well, I don’t know)

Question 16

face (in pragmatics)

Answer 16

your public self-image

Question 17

politeness

Answer 17

as showing awareness and consideration of another person’s face.

Question 18

face-threatening act

Answer 18

if you say something that represents a threat to another person’s self-image.
“Give me the paper!” making a powerful social command to another person when you don’t actually have that social power.

Question 19

face-saving act

Answer 19

whenever you say something that lessens the possible threat to another’s face
“Could you pass me the paper” removes the assumption of power

Question 20

Negative face

Answer 20

the need to be independent and free from imposition

Question 21

positive face

Answer 21

the need to be connected, to belong, to be a member of the group.

Question 22

speech acts

Answer 22

“requesting” , “commanding”, “questioning”, or “informing”

the action performed by a speaker with an utterance

Question 23

direct speech act

Answer 23

when an interrogative structure such as Did you…?. Is she…? or Can you…? is used with the function of a question; Can you ride a bike?

Question 24

indirect speech act

Answer 24

Can you pass the salt?
In this example, we are not really asking a question about someone’s ability. We are using an interrogative structure to make a request.