This document discusses presuppositions, which are pieces of information that a speaker assumes is already known by the listener. There are different types of presuppositions, including lexical presuppositions triggered by words, factive presuppositions triggered by verbs like "know" and "regret", and structural presuppositions triggered by question words and conditionals. Presuppositions are an important part of implicit meaning in language.

3. Speakers assume certain information is
already known by their listeners.
This is part of what is communicated but
not said.
Presuppositions and entailments
Two aspects of what is communicated
but not said

4. Presupposition: The information that a
speaker assumes to be already known.
(The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language, 1987)
Implicit meanings conveyed by the speaker through
the use of particular words.
Ex: "The Cold War has ended" presupposes that the
existence of the entities it refers to, in this case the
"Cold War".

5. Speakers, not sentences,
have presuppositions

6.  A presupposition is a condition which must be
fulfilled in order for an expression to make sense
 A presupposition is introduced by a lexical element
or construction called the presupposition trigger

7.  A presupposition:
 Is a background belief, mutually assumed by the
speaker and the addressee for the utterance to be
considered appropriate in context
 Survives when the utterance is negated, questioned
or embedded in an attitude context
 Is triggered by a lexical item or a grammatical
construction in the utterance

8. Presuppositions are associated with the use of a
large number of words, phrases and structures.
These linguistic forms are considered as indicators
of potential presupposition, which can only become
actual presupposition in contexts with speakers.
TYPES OF PRESUPPOSITION

9. Entities named by the speaker and assumed to be
present
- NP.
- Possessive constructions
“Rahat’s car is new” we can presuppose that
Rahat exists and that he has a car.
Some lexical triggers:
Definite NPs:
The student fell asleep.
The student didn’t fall asleep
Atif is a bachelor (Atif is an unmarried male person)
Existential Presupposition

10. Identified by the presence of some verbs such as "know“,
"realize“, “be glad”, “be sorry”, etc.
Some lexical triggers:
Factive verbs:
Lawrence realized Rana ate a sandwich.
Rana regretted eating a sandwich.
Rana liked eating a sandwich.
I was aware of the class cancellation on Saturday
They announced the winner of the contest.
She didn’t realize that she was ill.
Factive Presupposition

11. In using one word, the speaker can act as if another
meaning will be understood. For instance:
Mary stopped running. (>>He used to run.)
You are late again. (>> You were late before.)
Are you still such a bad driver? (>> You were a bad driver)
"stop“, "again“ “still” are taken to presuppose another
(unstated) concept.
Some lexical triggers:
Change of state verbs:
Rana stopped eating a sandwich (at 2pm).
Rana started eating a sandwich (at 2pm).
Verbs of judgment:
Lawrence blamed Rana for eating the sandwich.
Lawrence faults Rana for eating the sandwich.
Lexical Presupposition

12. It is the assumption associated with the use of certain
structures.
- wh-question constructions.
When did she travel to the USA? ( >> she travelled)
Where did you buy the book? (>> you bought the book)
The listener perceives that the information presented is
necessarily true, or intended as true by the speaker..
Structural Presupposition

13. it is an assumption referred to something that is not
true.
For example, verbs like "dream", "imagine" and
"pretend" are used with the presupposition that what
follows is not true.
I dreamed that I was rich. (>> I was not rich)
We imagined that we were in London. (>> We were
not in London)
Non-factive presupposition

14. It is the assumption that what is presupposed is not
only untrue, but is the opposite of what is true, or
contrary to facts.
-conditional structures,
If you were my daughter, I would not allow you to do
this. ( >> you are not my daughter)
If I were rich I would buy a Ferrari (>> I’m not rich)
Counterfactual presupposition