Conversational

implicature
A31692 – Đoàn Cẩm Nhung
A34217 – Đỗ Huy Hoàng
A27556 – Lã Chí Hải
 Table of Contents

01 Types of
Conversational implicature

02 Properties of
conversational implicature

03 Hedges
 Types of conversational implicature

01 Generalized conversational implicatures

02 Scalar conversational implicatures

03 Particularized conversational implicatures
 Types of conversational implicature
01 Generalized conversational implicatures
They are implicatures that do not require a special
context.
Exampl
e
•Tom thinks there is a party tonight.
+> Tom doesn’t know for sure that there is a party tonight.

•Frank walked into a house yesterday.

+> The house was not Frank’s house.
 Types of conversational implicature
02 Scalar conversational implicatures
Exampl
•They are implicatures that occur when certain
e
information is communicated by choosing a word which
expresses one value from a scale of values.
• Bill has got some of Chomsky’s papers.
+> Bill the
•From hasn’t got all
highest of Chomsky’s
to the lowest: papers.
- All, most, many, some, few
• - Some
Always,
of often, sometimes
the boys went to the party.
+> Not all of the boys went to the party.
•The basis of the scalar implicature is that when any form
in a scale is asserted, the negative of all forms higher on
the scale is implicated.
 Types of conversational implicature
03 Particularized conversational implicatures
They are implicatures that occur when a conversation
takes place in a very specific context in which locally
recognized inferences are assumed.
Exampl
e
A: What on earth has happened to the roast beef?
B: The dog is looking very happy.
 Properties of conversational implicature

01 Conversational implicatures can be cancelled

02 Conversational implicatures can be reinforced

03 Conversational implicatures can be non-detachable

04 Conversational implicatures can be calculated

 Types of conversational implicature
01 Conversational implicatures can be cancelled
An implicature can be cancelled if additional premises are
added without causing conflicts.
Exampl
e
•It’s a bit chilly here.
+> I want you to turn off the air conditioner.

•It’s a bit chilly here, but I don’t want you to turn off the air
conditioner.
 Types of conversational implicature
02 Conversational implicatures can be reinforced
Implicatures can be reinforced by being made explicit,
without there being too much redundancy.
Exampl
e
•The water isn’t cold.
+> The water is warm.

•The water isn’t cold, it’s warm.

 Types of conversational implicature
03 Conversational implicatures can be non-detachable
The same propositional content in the same context will
always give rise to the same conversational implicature, in
whatever form it is expressed. The implicature is tied to
the meaning, not to form.
Exampl
e
•Jon is likely to win the lottery.
Jon will probably win the lottery.

•Jazzy didn’t manage to walk as far as the crossroads.

Jazzy didn’t walk as far as the crossroads.
 Types of conversational implicature
04 Conversational implicatures can be calculated
Exampl
They are supposed to be formally derivable from the
e meaning of the utterance in combination with the
literal
cooperative principlebetween
•If a couple decided and thethem
maxims,
that as wellsays:
if one as “I’m
contextual
leaving.” information and background knowledge.
+> Both should leave.

•A: Do you feel cold?

B: It's like being in the North Pole
+> It’s extremely cold.
Hedges
 Hedges

Hedges are devices used by speakers to "explain"

utterances beforehand in relation to the four maxims:
Quantity, quality, manner, relevance.

The hedged statement enables us to infer that what is said

is to be taken as an unemotional and realistic description
of the situation. Generally speaking, hedges are
expressions with metalingual function.
 Hedges
01 The maxim of quality
•To indicate the speaker’s desire to express his/her ideas as
accurately as possible.
•Hedges refer to the ‘quality’ of the language used by the
speaker and thus are concerned with ‘telling the truth’.

Exampl
e
Most of the girls don’t like talking to customers but this one
liked me. At least, she gave that impression.
 Hedges
02 The maxim of quantity
Exampl
•To indicate the speaker’s attempt to provide information
e is adequate and necessary is commonly indicated by
which
certain cautious notes which can be formally structured as
unfinished
Like I say ...sentences,
they wereclauses ornice.
all very independent statements
•The hedges referring to the quantity maxim do not cause
problems in translation. When having a form of a
sentence, they are either translated literally, or by a
slightly (grammatically) modified phrase, which is more
common in the given context.
 Hedges
03 The maxim of relation/ relevance
•To indicate the speaker’s awareness of a certain need to
provide relevant information in his talk.
•By means of this kind of hedge speakers signal or admit
that they may have drifted away from the topic.

Exampl
e
I’m going off the point. I was very upset about my shop.
 Hedges
04 The maxim of manner
•To indicate the speaker’s awareness of the manner he/she
formulates the message and reflect her/his wish to make
the utterance perspicuous.
•This kind of hedges does not cause problems in
translation.
Exampl
e
Don’t get it wrong, I’m not the person you are expecting.
 Quiz

True/False

1. Generalized implicatures are independent of the context

while particularized implicatures are on the contrary T

2. Implicatures that occur when certain information is

communicated by choosing a word which expresses one
F
value from a scale of values are generalized implicatures
 Quiz

True/False

3. There are 5 types of hedges: Quality, Quantity, Relation,

Relevance, Manner F

4.“This may be a bit confused, but what if Roger is not the

suspect of the crime? F
Does the phrase above belong to Quality Hedges?
 Quiz

Multiple choice

1. A: Are you coming to Greg’s party tonight?

B: My aunt is visiting.
Which type of conversational implicatures does this
example belong to?

A. Particularized implicature
B. Generalized implicature
C. Scalar implicature
 Quiz

Multiple choice

2. A particularized implicature is a … implicature that is

derivable only in a specific context.

A. Scalar
B. Generalized
C. Particularized
 Quiz

Multiple choice

3. As you probably know, I’m terrified of bugs.

A. Relation/ Relevance hedges

B. Quality hedges
C. Quantity hedges
D. Manner hedges
 Quiz

Multiple choice

4. This may sound like a dumb question, but do you think

the world will get invaded by aliens?

A. Relation/ Relevance hedges

B. Quality hedges
C. Quantity hedges
D. Manner hedges
 Thanks
for
listening
!