Exercises

Each problem presents a short dialogue. You must identify which a maxim is being used or violated.
You may be asked to figure out the implication, or it may be given to you.

1. LAURA: Come on, I’m taking you to the gym.

MEREDITH: Yeah, and pigs can fly.
What is Meredith implying?
What maxim creates that implication, and why?

Meredith says that she won’t go to the gym She is ironical

Maxim : relation, doesn’t stay on topic.

2. CARSON: What happened?

MEREDITH: He got attacked by a giant bug, and he passed out.
Implication: He passed out because he was first attacked (in other words, the order in which the events
occurred is: (1) he got attacked; (2) he passed out.)
What maxim creates that implication, and why?

Quantity. Too many details

3. JOHN: We just have to fly real close to the corona of the sun!
MEREDITH: You’re lucky you’re pretty.
What is Meredith implying?
What maxim creates that implication, and why?

Meredith thinks that John is not that smart, luckily, he has good looks

Maxim : relation

4. LAURA: Do you have any pets?

CARSON: I have two wee baby turtles.
Implication: Carson doesn’t have any other pets besides the two turtles.
What maxim creates that implication, and why?
Maxim: Manner. Not complete information

5. MEREDITH: Tell them what happened!

JOHN: Meredith saw an object or entity strongly resembling a giant bug.
What is John implying?

What maxim creates that implication, and why?

Maxim: Manner.

Speech Acts
Exercises
Consider each situation, and the questions.

1. JOHN : Are you busy?

MEREDITH: Could you not hover while I’m trying to work?

a. What is the illocutionary force of John’s speech act? Explicit

b. What is the illocutionary force of Meredith’s speech act? Nonexplicit

2. ELIZABETH: Gentlemen, stand down.

JOHN: Um... you’ve been relieved of duty.

a. What is the illocutionary force of Elizabeth’s speech act? Explicit - Declaration

b. Is Elizabeth’s speech act explicit or nonexplicit?
c. Are the felicity conditions met? If not, why not? Yes: Essential conditions

3. ELIZABETH: You endangered the lives of everyone on this ship!

MEREDITH: Whoops.
ELIZABETH: Is that supposed to be an apology?
MEREDITH: Wasn’t that clear?
a. What is the illocutionary force of Meredith’s (first) speech act? Nonexplicit
b. Is Meredith’s speech act explicit or nonexplicit?
c. Are the felicity conditions met? If not, why not? No

4. MEREDITH: Thanks for the present.

JOHN: I didn’t give you any present.

a. What is the illocutionary force of Meredith’s speech act?

 b. Is Meredith’s speech act explicit or nonexplicit? Explicit
5. Are the felicity conditions met? If not, why not? Yes

6. JOHN: Meet me in the jumper bay in ten minutes.

MEREDITH: Okay.
-20 Minutes Later- JOHN:
Where were you?
MEREDITH: Sorry, I lost track of time!

a. What is the illocutionary force of John’s speech act? Explicit

b. What is the illocutionary force of Meredith’s speech act? Nonexplicit
c. What is the illocutionary force of John’s second speech act? Nonexplicit
d. What is the illocutionary force of Meredith’s second speech act? Nonexplicit
e. Are the felicity conditions met for Meredith’s first speech act? If not, why not? Yes
Because of Sincerity

7. JOHN: That’s your baby whale friend?

MEREDITH: I’m going to call him “Sam.”

a. What is the illocutionary force of Meredith’s speech act? Nonexplicit

b. Is Meredith’s speech act explicit or nonexplicit? Explicit
c. Are the felicity conditions met? If not, why not? No

8. MEREDITH: I was very heroic.

JOHN: I call bullshit!

a. What is the illocutionary force of Meredith’s speech act?

b. What is the illocutionary force of John’s speech act?
c. Is Meredith’s speech act explicit or nonexplicit? Explicit
d. Is John’s speech act explicit or nonexplicit? Nonexplicit
e. In light of John’s statement, are the felicity conditions met for Meredith’s speech act? If not,
why not? NO
f.

Politeness Strategy
Exercises
1. Name the politeness strategy being used in each of the following utterances.
a. “Well, I know you have a lot going on, so I’ll let you go.” Indirect
b. “You need to go pick up the dry-cleaning.” Direct
c. “You’re such a sweetheart, I know I can count on you.” POSITIVE
 d. “Mmm, those cookies smell good.” Indirect
2. Suppose you want someone to loan you five dollars. Give an example of four ways you could
request the money, one from each politeness strategy.