TERMS DEFINITION
semantics Semantics is all about meaning
in language. It's like the "what"
and "how" of understanding
words and sentences.
pragmatics the study of how language is
affected by the situation in
which it is used, of how
language is used to get things
or perform actions, and of how
words can express things that
are different from what they
appear to mean
Sentence meaning a set of words that is complete
in itself, typically containing a
subject and predicate,
conveying a statement,
question, exclamation, or
command, and consisting of a
main clause and sometimes one
or more subordinate clauses.
Speaker meaning a person who gives a speech at
a public event
Utterance an utterance is a continuous
piece of speech, by one person,
before or after which there is
silence on the part of the
person.
Proposition A proposition is what a
sentence or statement is really
saying, no matter how it's said.
It's the core message or idea.
EXAMPLES
The glass is full
=> we understand that a
specific glass container is in a
state where it contains as much
as it can without overflowing.
Two friends, A and B are sitting
in a coffee shop. A is studying
for an important exam, and B
notices he looks tired and
stressed.
-> B: I'm going to get another
coffee
=> B is indirectly offering to buy
John a coffee without explicitly
stating it. B’s showing concern
for A’s tiredness and stress.
I like watching tv
=> The sentence means that the
speaker (the person saying "I")
has a positive preference or
enjoyment for the activity of
"watching TV." It suggests that
the speaker finds the act of
watching television enjoyable
or pleasurable.
A: It's really hot in here
If A say it with a smile and in a
relaxed tone, they might mean,
I'm comfortable; I like the
warmth.
If A say it with a frown and in an
annoyed tone, they might
mean, "I'm uncomfortable; it's
too hot in here
I can't believe how quickly time
flies
=> complete and meaningful
expression of thought, whether
spoken or written.
"The cat is on the mat."
"On the mat is the cat
=> These sentences have
different word orders and
phrasing, but they express the

Propositional context Propositional context is like the
puzzle pieces of information
that help understand what
someone is talking about.
same core meaning or
proposition: "There is a cat on
the mat." The proposition here
is about the spatial relationship
between the cat and the mat
A: "I really want to ride the
roller coaster."
B: "Are you sure about that? It's
quite fast, and you usually don't
like fast rides."
=> B mentions A usual
preference for slower rides,
drawing on the information
that Alice usually doesn't like
fast rides.