Linguistics 2015 Practice Pragmatics Chapters 3 to 7 George Yule

I) Chapter 3: Reference and inference

1)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)

Explain how the words in bold are used

Mrs Know-.it-all forgot to study for today.
He wants to find a tall goalkeeper.
He wants to see a doctor immediately.
Can you lend me the Chomsky?
I cannot find my Clarin.
He didnt like Wilde at school.
The appendicitis has to eat nothing.

2) Analyse the following text in terms of anaphors and antecendent, cataphora and ellipsis.
Text 1
Students (not unlike yourselves) compelled to buy paperback copies of his novels--notably the first, Travel
Light, though there has lately been some academic interest in his more surreal and 'existential' and perhaps
even 'anarchist' second novel, Brother Pig--or encountering some essay from When the Saints in a shiny heavy
anthology of mid-century literature costing $12.50, imagine that Henry Bech, like thousands less famous than
he, is rich. He is not.
Text 2
Sophia Loren says she will always be grateful to Bono. The actress revealed that the U2 singer helped her calm
down when she became scared by a thunderstorm while travelling on a plane.
Text 3
Pop superstar Robbie Williams hid his secret heartbreak as he picked up three Brit awards last night. He was
stunned to discover that his ex-fiance, All Saints beauty Nicole Appleton, is dating a New York rapper. Robbie,
25, was distraught after being dumped by the love of his life Nicole at Christmas.
Text 4
Willie paled and pulled the sock up quickly

II) Chapter 4: Presuppositions and entailment

Types of presuppositions. Define what types of presupposition these sentences contain.
a) Who did you study with?
b) I didnt realise you were married.
c) If I had lots of money, Id buy a yacht
d) I dreamed that I was rich.
e) He pretended he was ill.
f) I regret having burgled that house.
g) I managed to find my dog.
h) When did you study?
III)Chapter 5: Cooperation and implicature
a) Tautologies >>> Tautology is a way to express something by repeating or saying it in a
different way. This can be used for emphasis, to convey something important, or to
add literary beauty to a text. However, many times its use is inadvertent and is just
a needless repetition. In logic, it is a statement that consists of two facts, one which
will be true in any instance.
Comment on the following examples of tautologies:
Tautologies in Sentences
I went there personally.
There is a lot of frozen ice on the road.
I know its true because I heard it with my own ears.
He is always making predictions about the future.
They hiked to the summit at the top of the mountain.
Im sorry to hear about your sad misfortune.
Logic Tautology

Either it will rain tomorrow or it wont rain.

Bill will win the election or he will not win the election.
I will get in trouble or not get in trouble.
Tautology in Song

I want to live while I am alive - Bon Jovi

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There's nothing you can do that can't be done. There's nothing you can sing that
can't be sung - The Beatles

Whatever will be, will be - Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

Only the lucky ones... get lucky - Loverboy

Shout it out loud! - Kiss

Tautology in Advertising

Added Bonus!
The store is giving away free tickets!
The World's Greatest Spokesman in the World!

b) The cooperative principle and its maxims

Each problem presents a short dialogue. You must identify which a maxim is being used or violated. You may
be asked to figure out the implication, or it may be given to you.
1. LAURA: Come on, Im taking you to the gym.
MEREDITH: Yeah, and pigs can fly.
What is Meredith implying?
What maxim creates that implication, and why?
2. CARSON: What happened?
MEREDITH: He got attacked by a giant bug, and he passed out.
Implication: He passed out because he was first attacked (in other words, the order in which the events occurred
is: (1) he got attacked; (2) he passed out.)
What maxim creates that implication, and why?
3. JOHN: We just have to fly real close to the corona of the sun!
MEREDITH: Youre lucky youre pretty.
What is Meredith implying?
What maxim creates that implication, and why?
4. LAURA: Do you have any pets?
CARSON: I have two wee baby turtles.
Implication: Carson doesnt have any other pets besides the two turtles.
What maxim creates that implication, and why?
5. MEREDITH: Tell them what happened!
JOHN: Meredith saw an object or entity strongly resembling a giant bug.
What is John implying?
What maxim creates that implication, and why?
c) In some cases below the second sentence is semantically related to the first (an entailment and/or a
presupposition). In other cases it is a (generalized) conversational implicature . Identify the latter cases.
(a) Hank was sorry that it rained.
It rained.
(b) Some of my friends like sushy.
Some of my friends don't like sushy
(c) Sue remembered to call.
Sue was planning to call.
(d) Jane managed to shut the door.
It was difficult for Jane to shut the door.
(e) Jill went into a nearby house.
The house was not her house.
(f) Even Fred passed.
Fred was least likely to pass.
(g) The movie is OK.
The movie is not fantastic.
(h) Bill took off his hat and sat down.
Bill took off his hat before he sat down.
(i) It continued to rain.
It had been raining.
d) Write the corresponding implicature in the following dialogues
1) Linda: Whats with Jean?
Jen: She discovered that her central heatings broken.
2) Terry: How do you like your bath?
Phil: Warm.
3) Annie: What do you think of this necklace and bracelet?
Mike: The bracelet is beautiful.
4) Lois: Has the kitchen been painted?
Gabriela: Toms away.
5) Jane: Have you seen my sweater?
Steve: Theres a sweater on the sofa.
6) Austin: It works now.
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Barbara: When did Eric fix it?

e) Conventional implicatures
Look at the following example of a conventional implicature
Even: Even KEN knows its unethical.
Entails: Ken knows its unethical.
Conventionally implicates: Ken is the least likely to know that its unethical.
Now analyse what the next sentences entail and what it is their conventional
implicature:
1) But: John is hungry but he wont stay for supper.
2) Too: Manfred Krifka was in Moscow last spring too.
3) Manage: Masha managed to start the car.
4) Fail: Bush failed to read the report.
5) Still: Alfred has still not come
IV) Chapter 6: Speech Acts
Classify the following speech acts
1 Ill make him an offer he cant refuse (Mario Puzo)
2 I baptize this baby John
3 Better remain silent and be thought a fool, than open your mouth and remove all possible doubt (Chinese
proverb)
4 Ifd known I was gonna live that long, Id have taken better care of myelf (Eubie Blake)
V) Chapter 7: Politeness and interaction
1) Imagine the following situation: You are in a room with another person called Sam. The window is open and
you are beginning to freeze. You are involved in a practical work that does not allow you to close the window
yourself at the moment. Further on, you are not sure if Sam likes the window to be closed, as well.
Now, there are several ways of dealing with this situation. Look at the following opportunities and match them
with the correct levels of politeness strategies.
A 'Isn't it cold in here?'
B 'Shut the window, Sam.'
C 'I'm sorry. Could you do me a favor and shut the window?'
D 'You look cold, Sam. Should we shut the window?'
E Say nothing and keep on freezing.
1 Positive Politeness
2 Going on record
3 Don't do the FTA
4 Off record (hint)
5 Negative Politeness
2) Pre sequences
1) Analyse the following dialogues
A: Did you hear the bad news?
B: No. What?
A: Dan died
B: Oh.
A: Hi. Do you have size C batteries?
B: Yes.
A: Ill have four
B: OK.
A. Can you pass me the salt please?
B. Sorry, my hands are sticky.
A: Hi. Id like to have four size C batteries.
B: No, sorry, I ran out.
A: Hello. I was just ringing up to ask if you were going to Berts party?
B: Yes. Would you like a lift?
A: Oh Id love one