This document provides an overview of key concepts in pragmatics and linguistic context, including deixis, reference, anaphora, presupposition, speech acts, politeness, interpreting discourse, cohesion, coherence, speech events, conversational interaction, and the cooperative principle. It explains that pragmatics looks not only at the literal meaning of language, but also the intended meaning based on context clues, prior mentions, assumptions, and more. Pragmatics analyzes how language is used and understood in real communication situations.

1. George Yule

2. When a piece of language is written or utter we look
not only to what it means but also what the writer or
speaker of those words intended to convey.

3. INVISIBLE MEANING

4. CONTEXT
LINGUISTIC CONTEXT = CO-TEXT
A word or set of words used in the same phrase
or sentence.
THE THIRD-GRADE PUPIL.
HIS PUPILS ARE DILATED.

5. DEIXIS
There are words that cannot be
interpreted unless the context is known.
Deictic expressions
Person deixis (I, you, he, she, it)
Place deixis (here, there, this, that,
Time deixis (now, then, yesterday, tonight)
Free beer tomorrow!

6. REFERENCE
Is an act by which a speaker or writer uses
language to enable a listener or reader to
identify something
We can use names associated with things
to refer to people and names of people to
refer to things e.g. we can say Where’s
the fresh salad sitting? She is sitting
behind the door. Can I have a look at your
Vince?

7. ANAPHORA
Subsequent reference to an already introduced
entity.
e.g:
1)
A: Can I borrow your book?
B: Yeah, it’s on the table
2)
I was waiting for the bus, but he just drove by
without stopping.

8. PRESUPPOSITION
What a speaker assumes is true or is known by the
hearer.
e.g:
1) Your brother is wating for you.
2) When did you stop smoking cigars?
Constancy under negation test:
My car is a wreck.
My car is not a wreck.
Presupposition: I have a car.

9. SPEECH ACTS
We can usually recognized the type of "act"
performed by the speaker in uttering a sentence.
•requesting
•comanding
•questioning
•informing
•DIRECT
SPEECH ACT : Did he....?. Are they....? or Can you....?
•INDIRECT SPEECH ACT: you left the door open. (and it's pretty
cold outside).

10. POLITENESS
Your
face in pragmatics is your public selfimage.
•
FACE- THREATENING ACT: Give me that paper!
•
FACE SAVING ACT: Could you pass me that paper,
please?

11. •NEGATIVE
FACE: the need to be independent
and to have freedom.
•POSITIVE FACE: the need to be conected, to
belong, to be a member of the group.

12. George Yule

13. INTERPRETING DISCOURSE
Forms and Structure are important elements when we
analyse a speech or a text.
But if the form and structure are incorrect, as language-users,
we can understand what the speaker or writer intended to
convey.

14. COHESION
The tides and connnections which exist
within texts.
The president is undergoing a serious
crisis. She is not giving any
conferences. Her hole cabinet is split.
This has put the country under alert.

15. COHERENCE
It is people who make sense of what they
hear and read by creating meaningful
connections which are not actually
expressed by the words and sentences. A
lot of what is meant is not actually
present in what is read or heard.
A:Hey! Didn’t you hear the telephone?
B: I’m studying now.

16. SPEECH EVENTS
Where language is used for example a
debate, interview, discussion.

17. CONVERSATIONAL INTERACTION
•
Turns at speaking.
Marking a turn as complete (completion point)
by:
-Asking a question
-Pausing at the end of a sentence or phrase.
•
Indicating speaking turn by:
-Making short and repeated sounds
-Using facial expressions
•

18. Conversational styles and strategies of
participation:
*Rudeness (cutting in on another speaker)
*Shyness( waiting to take a turn)
*“long-winded”
speakers
(avoiding
completion points):
normal
A: That’s their favorite restaurant because they…
enjoy French food and when they were…in France
they coudn’t believe it that….you know that they
had…that they had had better meals back home.

19. THE CO-OPERATIVE PRINCIPLE
•
QUANTITY: Make your contribution as
informative as is required, but not more
or less than is required.

20. •QUALITY: do not say that which you
believe to be false.
•RELATION: Be relevant
•MANNER: be clear, brief and orderly.

21. by
Ferrufino, Daniela
Martinez, Maria Ines
Martinez, Carlos
Siares, Alejandra
Linguistics – 2013
Instituto Franklin