What is pragmatics?

A Definition of Pragmatics
 the study of the practical aspects of human action and thought.
 the study of the use of linguistic signs, words and sentences, in actual situations.[1]

Pragmatics outlines the study of meaning in the

interactional context
It looks beyond the literal meaning of an utterance and considers how meaning is constructed
as well as focusing on implied meanings. It considers language as an instrument of
interaction, what people mean when they use language and how we communicate and
understand each other.

Jenny Thomas[2] says that pragmatics considers:

 the negotiation of meaning between speaker and listener.

 the context of the utterance.
 the meaning potential of an utterance.

What would happen to language if Pragmatics did not

exist?
Pragmatics acts as the basis for all language interactions and contact. It is a key feature to the
understanding of language and the responses that follow this. Therefore, without the fucntion
of Pragmatics, there would be very little understanding of intention and meaning.

We would like to demonstrate this by showing you how life would be WITHOUT
Pragmatics:

‘Can you pass the salt?’

Literal Meaning: Are you physically able to do this task?

Literal Response: ‘Yes’

(Pragmatic Meaning: Will you pass me the salt?

Pragmtic Response: pass the salt to the speaker.)

‘What time do you call this?’

Literal Meaning: What time is it?

Literal Response: A time (e.g. ‘twenty to one.’)

(Pragmatic Meaning: a different question entirely, e.g. Why are you so late?
Pragmatic Response: Explain the reason for being so late.)
Pragmatics
Pragmatics is a branch of linguistics, which is the study of language. Pragmatics focuses on
conversational implicature, which is a process in which the speaker implies and a listener
infers. Simply put, pragmatics studies language that is not directly spoken. Instead, the
speaker hints at or suggests a meaning, and the listener assumes the correct intention.

In a sense, pragmatics is seen as an understanding between people to obey certain rules of

interaction. In everyday language, the meanings of words and phrases are constantly implied
and not explicitly stated. In certain situations, words can have a certain meaning. You might
think that words always have a specifically defined meaning, but that is not always the case.
Pragmatics studies how words can be interpreted in different ways based on the situation.

Examples
The definition might be a bit confusing, so let's look at some examples to clarify the role of
pragmatics in our language. This first example is one that you probably use in your own life
every day. Say you are in line at a store to pay for your purchases. The cashier asks, 'How are
you today?' Do you immediately go into an in-depth account of your health issues, varying
mood, relationship status, and everything else going on in your life? Of course not! Usually,
you respond with something similar to, 'Fine, how are you?' with the same expectation that
the cashier will not go into full detail of how she truly is. This interaction perfectly shows
pragmatics at work. It is understood that this question does not really ask you to explain
everything going on in your life. The implication relies on the context and situation. It is good
manners to ask strangers how they are, but it is not intended for a detailed response.

Many times you can see pragmatics working when there is an ambiguous meaning - vague or
unclear, idea or sentence. As always, the situation will make the ambiguous wording clear.
For example, imagine you are at the airport, and you have already checked in your luggage.
Then you approach the escalator and see a sign that reads, 'Luggage must be carried on the
escalator.' Does this mean that you must return to the counter and get your luggage back so
you can carry it on the escalator? Of course not! The understood meaning is that if you have
luggage, it should be carried and not rolled on the escalator. You can use the situation to
determine the true meaning.