CONVERSATIONAL PRINCIPLES: COOPERATION

Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by
the accepted purpose or direction of the speech exchange in which you are engaged. (Jan
Renkema, p. 22)

Generally about cooperation with one another hence the name cooperative principle when 2
people speak we can presuppose that they cooperate in order to bring meaning across and in
order to bring meaning across properly we have the so-called maxims of conversation.

MAXIM

Accordingly, the cooperative principle is divided into Grice's four maxims of conversation,

called the Gricean maxims—quantity, quality, relation, and manner. These four maxims
describe specific rational principles observed by people who follow the cooperative principle
in pursuit of effective communication.

Grice distinguished four categories within this general principle. He formulated these in basic
rules or maxims. In two categories he also introduced supermaxims.

Grice’s maxims

I. Maxim of quantity = 1. Make your contribution as informative as is required (for the

current purposes of the exchange).

2. Do not make your contribution more informative than is

required.

II. Maxim of quality

Supermaxim: Try to make your contribution one that is true.

Maxims: 1. Do not say what you believe to be false.

2. Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.

III. Maxim of relevance (originally labeled “relation”)

Be relevant.
IV. Maxim of manner Supermaxim:

Be perspicuous

Maxims: 1. Avoid obscurity of expression.

2. Avoid ambiguity.

3. Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity).

4. Be orderly