Chapter 10: Pragmatics

Question 1

pragmatics

Answer 1

understanding meaning in a particular context

speaker’s meaning; invisible meaning

Question 2

physical context

Answer 2

the location where we encounter words and text (bank, school, workplace, home)

Question 3

linguistic context/co-text

Answer 3

surrounding words helping to convey understanding (overgrown, river -> bank)

Question 4

deictic expressions/deixis

Answer 4

greek word that means “pointing” via language
people (us, them, she, her)
places (here, there, over there)
times (now, last week, next year)

broad distinction between what is close to the speaker (here/this/now) and far (that/there/then)

Question 5

reference

Answer 5

the act by which a speaker uses language to enable to listener to identify something

Question 5

inference

Answer 5

additional information used by the listener to connect what is said with its meaning

Question 6

we saw a video about a boy washing a puppy.

Answer 6

antecedent - the first mention (a boy, a puppy)

Question 7

the puppy got the boy wet.

Answer 7

anaphora - referring back (the boy, the puppy)

Question 8

cataphora

Answer 8

beginning with a pronoun/vague reference and clarifying later

i talked to that girl earlier. they’re huge, aren’t they? her earrings, i mean.

Question 9

the connection between antecedent and anaphora is often inferred.
(T/F)

Answer 9

true.
we found a house within our budget, but the kitchen was too small

if X is a house, then X has a kitchen

Question 10

presupposition

Answer 10

what a speaker/writer assumes the listener/reader already knows

Question 11

pragmatic markers

Answer 11

mark a speaker’s attitude to the listener/what is being said

y’know, well, i mean, i don’t know

Question 12

face

Answer 12

public self image

face-threatening/face-saving act

Question 13

politeness

Answer 13

showing awareness/consideration of someone’s face

Question 14

negative face

Answer 14

need to be independent/free of imposition

face-saving: i’m sorry to bother you, i know you’re busy

Question 15

positive face

Answer 15

need to be connected/a member of the group

face-saving: that happened to me, too! let’s go together

Question 16

speech acts

Answer 16

direct/indirect ways of communicating

interrogative, imperative, declaritive