PRAGMATICS ENDTERM

Time: 60’
I. (2 points) Fill in the gaps with the words given below.
Illocutionary 8 Declaratives 6 Negative 9 face saving 10
distant Deixis 3 Inference 2 Attributive 4
Pragmatics 1 face threatening generalized 7 particularized
semantics Manner 5 perlocutionary positive
1. ______ is the study of the relationships between linguistic forms and the users of those forms.
2. The role of ______ is essential for successful reference to occur.
3. ______ is a technical term from Greek for one of the most basic things we do with utterances,
which means “pointing” via language.
4. ______ use of reference indicates “whoever/whatever fits the description”.
5. The maxim of ______ requires speakers to avoid ambiguity and obscurity.
6. _____ are those kinds of speech acts that change the world via their utterance.
7. ______ conversational implicature does not require special knowledge in the context to
calculate the additional conveyed meaning.
8. The intended function of an utterance is called _____ act.
9. A person’s ______ face is the need to be independent, to have freedom of action, and not to be
imposed by others.
10.  A strategy which can lessen the possible threat to another person’s face is called ______ act.
II. Choose the correct answers
11. Identify the type of presupposition of the sentence in bold: They started complaining 
They were not complaining before.
A. non-factive B. lexical
C. structural D. factive
12. Identify the type of speech act of the following utterance: Get out of here right now, all of
you!
A. commissive B. declarative
C. representative D. directive
13. What maxim is flouted in the following conversations:
Linda: Remember to pick up Evan at school early today.
Peter: My meeting may last longer than expected.
A. Quantity B. Relation
C. Quality D. Manner
14. Which utterance below employs positive politeness strategy?
A. Hey mate, could you pass me that note?
B. Could you turn down the volume for me, please?
C. I don’t mean to interrupt, but could you turn off the speaker?
D. I’m sorry to bother, but can you give me that note over there?
15. Which sentence can trigger Non-factive presupposition?
A. Mai Anh knows that she is not a singer.
B. If Mai Anh were a singer, she would sing this song beautifully.
C. Mai Anh pretends to be a singer.
D. I don’t understand why Mai Anh wanted to be a singer.
16. "Then" is an example of _____.
A. proximal spatial deixis
B. distal person deixis
C. distal temporal deixis
D. proximal temporal deixis
17. What kind of implicature is employed in the sentence in bold?
Jane: Who drank all of the water?
Mike: I drank some of it. (I didn’t drink all of it.)
A. Conventional implicature
B. Particularized conversational implicature
C. Scalar implicature
D. Principle implicature
18. Which utterance below employs negative politeness strategy?
A. You must be exhausted, would you like some refreshing drink?
B. I don’t mean to intrude, but can I ask you a sensitive question?
C. Do me a favor, buddy?
D. If we do together, we will pull this off.
19. How many temporal deixis can be found in this conversation: - Next Monday I will have an
important meeting at 5 p.m, can we have dinner at 7 p.m, at Don Chicken restaurant? - Sure, we
will meet there then.
A. 1 B. 2
C. 3 D. 4
20. How many cataphoric references can be found in the following sentences: For me this is one
of the most beautiful movies ever made in cinema history: La La Land, directed by Damien
Chazelle. He has established his name in the industry since the movie was released.
A. 1 B. 2
C. 3 D. 4

III. (3 points) Read the following utterance and then: (i) Specify two possible illocutionary
forces for each, (ii) Provide a situation for each illocution.
I’ll tell your mother.
- Context “utterance”
  Analysis ->

IV. (3 points) Analyse the transcript of an extract from Friends series from a pragmatic
perspective. (inference/cooperative principles)
Here is the situation and some screenshots to help you imagine the context.
Situation: In Friends series, Rachel, Ross, Monica and Chandler are in the room. Chandler wants to
quit the gym and he needs Ross’s help.

Extract:
Monica: (Picking up a card from Chandler’s wallet.) Is this a gym card? (1)
Chandler: Oh, yes, gym member. I try to go out four times a week, but I’ve missed…the last
1200 times. (2)
Ross: So why don’t you quit? (3)
Chandler: You don’t think I’ve tried? You think I like having $50 a month taken from my
account? They make you go all the way down there then they use all these phrases and peppiness
to try to confuse you and then they bring out Maria. (4)
Ross: Who is Maria? (5)
Chandler: Oh Maria. You can’t say no to her, she’s like this lycra spandex* covered gym treat.
Ross: Do you need me to go with you and hold your hand?
Chandler: No
Ross: You’re strong enough to face her alone?
*lycra spandex: clothes that fit your body when exercising