Class : Pragmatics 01

Members of the group:

Nguyễn Thanh An 19CNA06
Nguyễn Thị Phúc 19CNA08
Trương Thị Cẩm Ly – 20CNA03

ASSIGNMENT PRAGMATICS 2023

A. TASK 1 IDENTIFYING ILLOCUTIONARY FORCE OF UTTERANCES
In this task you are required to identify the pragmatic features of the utterances in terms of
the following categories.
1. The illocutionary act of the utterance (2 examples for each type of speech act)
2. Whether the utterance is performative or constative
3. Whether the utterance is explicit or non-explicit performative
4. Whether the utterance is direct or indirect illocution
Whether the utterance is literal or non-literal locution
Example: MALEFICENT (2014)
Scene 1:
Location: in the castle
Background: After Maleficent’ s wings was stolen by the king; she get angry with the king.
She visits to the castle to attend the newborn princess birthday.
MALEFICENT: Well, well
What a glittering assemblage, King Stefan
Royalty, nobility, the gentry and
How quaint
Even the rabble
I must say I really felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation
KING: you’re not welcome here
MALEFICENT: Oh, dear
What an awkward situation
QUEEN: you’re not offended?
MALEFICENT: Why, no
And to show I bear to no ill will, I too shall bestow a gift on the child
King: No! we don’t want your gift!
FAIRY 1: stay away from the princess!
FAIRY 2: yes! Stay away!
MALEFICENT: Listen well, all of you
The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who meet her.
QUEEN: that’s a lovely gift
KING: don’t do this
MALEFICENT: But, before the sun sets on her 16th birthday, she will prick her finger on
the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a sleep like death, a sleep from which she will
never awaken
KING: maleficent, pls don’t do this, I’m begging you
MALEFICENT: I like you begging
Do it again
KING: I beg you
MALEFICENT: All right
The princess will be woken from her death sleep but only by true love’s kiss. The curse will
last till the end of time!
No power on Earth can change it
TASK A
1. The illocutionary act of the utterance
Example of Example of utterance
Illocutionary force
Representativ Stating you’re not welcome here
e

Question

Commissive

Expressive

Directive

Declaration

2. Whether the utterance is performative or constative

Example of Example of utterance Performative or
Constative
Representativ Stating you’re not welcome here Performative
e
Informing KING: I promised the people that Constative (most
 one day we would take the mores declarative
and its treasures sentences in past
tense are constative)
Question Informative
question
Inquiring
Commissive Promising
…
Threatening
Expressive Thanking
apologizing
Directive Requesting
Daring
Declaration Blessing
Passing
sentences

3. Whether the utterance is explicit or non-explicit performative

Example of utterance explicit or non-
explicit
performative
Representativ Stating you’re not welcome here non-explicit
e
Explaining
Question Informative
question
Inquiring
Commissive Promising
…
Threatening
Expressive Thanking
apologizing
Directive Requesting
Daring
Declaration Blessing
Passing
sentences

4. Whether the utterance is direct or indirect illocution

Example of Example of utterance direct or
Illocutions indirect
illocution
Representativ Stating you’re not welcome here direct
e

Question Informative
 question
Inquiring
Commissive Promising
…
Threatening
Expressive Thanking
apologizing
Directive Requesting
Daring
Declaration Blessing
Passing
sentences

5. Whether the utterance is literal or non-literal locution

Example of utterance literal or non-
literal locution
Representativ Stating you’re not welcome here literal
e
Explaining
Question Informative
question
Inquiring
Commissive Promising
…
Threatening
Expressive Thanking
apologizing
Directive Requesting
Daring
Declaration Blessing
Passing
sentences

TASK 2
FLOUTING/VIOLATING COOPERATIVE MAXIMS AND CONVERSATION
IMPLICATURE
VI PHẠM CÁC PHƯƠNG CHÂM CỘNG TÁC HỘI THOẠI VÀ HÀM Ý HỘI THOẠI
Please provide 4 examples of violating/flouting 4 coorperative maxims and conversation
implicatures.

EXAMPLE: Scene 2: MALEFICENT (2014)

Location: in the castle

Background: After Maleficent’ s wings was stolen by the king; she has animosity towards
the king. When the king held a grand ceremony for his newborn princess, Maleficent pays a
visit to the castle even though she does not receive any invitation. She wants to give the
newborn princess a gift in her birthday.
Maleficent: Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and… How quaint. Even the rabble. I must say I
really felt quite distressed at not receiving any invitation.
The king: You’re not welcome here.
Maleficent: Oh, dear. What an awkward situation.
The queen: You’re not offended?
Maleficent: Why no. And to show I bear no ill will, I too shall bestow a gift on the child.
The king: No! We don’t want your gift.
Three fairies: Stay away from the princess. Yes, stay away.
Maleficent: Listen well, all of you. The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty,
beloved by all who meet her.
The queen: That’s a lovely gift.
The king: Don’t do this.
Maleficent: Before the sun sets on her birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of
spinning wheel and fall into a sleep like death.
Explain: In this situation, Maleficent seems to violated cooperative principle- quality which
define “when communicating, try to make your contribution one that is true, specifically, do
not say what you believe to be false”. When Maleficent was asked why she came to the
party, she said she wanted to give a gift to the princess. However, the real reason why
Maleficent visits the party is not to give a gift to the newborn princess.
Implicature: The gift Maleficent wants to give for the princess has another meaning. The
gift is a metaphor for a death curse.

TASK 3 IDENTIFYING POSITIVE POLITENESS AND NEGATIVE POLITENESS

In this task, you are required to provide examples of politeness strategies in specific context
of the movie.
Below is an example for reference.
Scene 3: MALEFICENT (2014)

Location: in a wasteland
Background: After the maleficent lost her wings, she went to a wasteland. She rescued a
crow.
A crow: What have you done to my beautiful self?
Maleficent: Would you rather I let them beat you to deadth?
A crow: I’m not certain
Maleficent: Stop complaining. I saved your life.
Scene 4:
Location: in a snug little cottagein the woods.
Background: The fairies begin to take on the responsibility of raising Princess Aurora in a
snug little cottagein the woods
A fairy: No! Is this it?
A fairy: Look dreadful.
A fairy: Come on.
A fairy: We need a smaller…. Baby
Or bigger bodies.
A fairy: No, what we need is a proper disguise.
A fairy: What do you mean?
A fairy: Well, we have to blend in, don’t we?
We have to be big enough to look after this baby.
So, gather around, ladies.
Get ready. One, two, three, grow!
A fairy: That’s worked quite well. That’s very nice.

E.g. of utterance Context/situation Aim/motivation

Positive …
Politenes -We need a They plan to take care of Increasing the sense of
s smaller…. Baby the princess together. solidarity and
-we need is a proper decreasing their social
disguise. distance with the use of
-we have to blend in, inclusive pronoun “we”
don’t we?
-We have to be big
enough to look after
this baby.
-So, gather around,
ladies.
-That’s worked quite
well. That’s very nice.
Negative
politeness …