下载掌阅APP，畅读海量书库
立即打开
Study questions
1. What kinds of deicticexpressions are used in this utterance (e.g. I= person deixis)?
I’m busy nowso you can’t stay here. Come back later.
Key: Person deixis (I, you);
spatial deixis (here, come back);
temporal deixis (now, later)
2. What are theanaphoric expressions in this sentence?
Dr. Fostergave Andy some medicine after he told her about his headaches and she advisedhim to take the pills three times a day until the pain went away.
Key: he, her, his, she, him, thepills, the pain
3. What kind ofinference is involved in interpreting each of these utterances?
(a) Teacher: Youcan borrow my Shakespeare.
(b) Waiter: Theham sandwich left without paying.
(c) Nurse: Thehernia in room 5 wants to talk to the doctor.
(d) Dentist: Myeleven-thirty canceled so I had an early lunch.
Key: (a) If X is the name of awriter of a book, then X can be used to identify a copy of a book by thatwriter (in an educational setting)
(b) If X is the name of a meal, then X can be used to refer to the personwho orders the meal (in a restaurant setting)
(c) If X is the name of a medical condition, then X can be used torefer to the person with that medical condition (in a medical setting)
(d) If X is the time of an appointment, X can be used to refer tothe person with that appointment (in a business office setting)
4. What is one obviouspresupposition of a speaker who says:
(a) Yourclock isn’t working.
(b) Wheredid he find the money?
(c) Weregret buying that car.
(d) The kingof France is bald.
Key: (a) You have a clock.
(b) He found the money.
(c) We bought the car.
(d) France has a king.
5. Someone stands between you and the TV setyou’re watching, so you decide to say one of the following. Identify whichwould be direct or indirect speech acts.
(a) Move!
(b) You’re inthe way.
(c) Could youplease sit down?
(d) Please getout of the way.
Key:(a) direct
(b) indirect
(c) indirect
(d) direct
6. In these examples, isthe speaker appealing to positive or negative face?
(a) Ifyou’re free, there’s going to be a party at Yuri’s place on Saturday.
(b) Let’s goto the party at Yuri’s place on Saturday. Everyone’s invited.
Key: (a) negative (‘If you’re free’)
(b) positive (‘Let’s go’)
Tasks
A. What do you think ismeant by the statement: “A context is a psychological construct” (Sperber andWilson, 1995)?
Key: "A context is apsychological construct, a subset of the hearer’s assumptions aboutthe world. It is these assumptions, of course, rather than the actualstate of the world, that affect the interpretation of an utterance. A contextin this sense is not limited to information about the immediate physicalenvironment or the immediately preceding utterances: expectations about thefuture, scientific hypotheses or religious beliefs, anecdotal memories, generalcultural assumptions, beliefs about the mental state of the speaker, may allplay a role." (Sperber and Wilson, 1995: 15-16)
From this perspective, context is something that is created (“aconstruct”) in the mind (“psychological”) of hearers as they try to interpretwhat is said or written. The “immediate physical environment” is only part ofwhat hearers may treat as contextually relevant for interpretation. Many otherfactors, particularly beliefs and assumptions in the mind of each hearer, are partof context in this analysis. As Henry Widdowson succinctly put it: “Context isnot an external set of 41 circumstances, but a selection of them internallyrepresented in the mind” (Widdowson, 2007: 20).
C. Which of theseutterances contain “performative verbs” and how did you decide?
(1) Iapologize.
(2) He said hewas sorry.
(3) I bet you$20.
(4) She won thebet.
(5) I drive aMercedes.
(6) You musthave a lot of money.
Key: Sentences 1 and 3 containperformative verbs.
F. The following phrases were all on signsadvertising sales. What is being sold in each case and (if you know) what otherwords would you add to the description to make it clearer? What is theunderlying structure of each phrase? For example, Furniture Sale mighthave the structure: “someone is selling furniture.” Would the same structure beappropriate for Garage Sale and the others?
Key: Some possible categories and(additional) descriptions.
‘X’ Sale = Someone is selling ‘X’
Bake (d) items Sale
Big Screen (TV) Sale
Colorful White (= sheets, pillowcases, etc) Sale
Foundation (undergarments) Sale
Furniture Sale
Plant Sale
‘Y’ Sale = Someone is selling items on or near time of year ’Y’
Back-to-School (= items to use or wear in school) Sale
Labor Day Sale
Spring Sale
‘Z’ Sale = Someone is selling items in or on location ‘Z’
Garage (next to house) Sale
Sidewalk (outside store) Sale
Tent (outside store) Sale
Yard (outside house) Sale
‘W’ Sale = Someone is selling items in a way (‘W’) that gets rid ofthem quickly
Clearance Sale
Close-out Sale
Liquidation Sale
‘V’ Sale = Someone is selling items at a special (‘V’) price
Dollar Sale
One Cent Sale