ENG 334 Meaning in Language Dr Peter Crompton

Study Questions: A3 Cooperative Principle

A3.3 Observing the Maxims
1. What are the four maxims which constitute the Cooperative Principle?
2. What phrase in the Jenny story provides evidence of the Speakers tacit
awareness of the maxim of quantity?
3. What phrases might be used if a Speaker wants to avoid providing too much
information but also check that the Hearer has enough?
4. Apart from As far as I know how else can Speakers hedge themselves
against accusations of (infringing the maxim of quality, or lying).
5. Apart from going back to your point, how else might Speakers show that
they are observing the maxim of relation?
6. How else might Speakers show awareness of the maxim of manner?
7. What is necessary for Speakers to make conversational implicatures?
a. Knowing the maxims themselves?
b. Knowing that Hearers know the maxims?
8. What is the relation between Hearer inference and Speaker implicature?
(Are all Hearer inferences also necessarily Speaker implicatures? Hint: Can
you think of inferences you have drawn from conversations which were NOT
intended by Speakers?)
A3.4 Flouting the Maxims
9. Is flouting a maxim of quality the same as lying? Does Cutting think Bowra
was lying or flouting the maxim of quality?
10.What implicature is probably being made by Mary when she compliments
Peter on his shoes?
11.Think of examples from your own conversations of:
a. Hyperbole
b. Metaphor
c. Sarcasm
d. Banter