SEMANTICS

Unit 2: Sentences,
Utterances, & Propositions
Student time is the most beautiful
time in life.

2
 Utterances
• An utterance - any stretch of talk, by one
person, before and after which there is silence
on the part of that person.
- the USE of a piece of language (e.g.
a sequence of sentences / a single phrase / a
single word) by a particular speaker, on a
particular occasion
Practice (p. 16)

3
 Sentences
A sentence - An abstractly ideal string of words
put together by the grammatical rules of a
language.
Practice (p. 17)

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 The convention
• Anything written between single quotation
marks ‘ ......’ represents an utterance.
• Anything italicized represents a sentence /
part of a sentence (e.g. a phrase / word)
• E.g. ‘John is coming.’
John is coming.
John
Practice (pp. 17-18)
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 Rules
• A given sentence always consists of the same
words, and in the same order. Any change in
the words, or in their order, makes a different
sentence, for our purposes.
E.g. + Helen rolled up the carpet.
Helen rolled the carpet up.
+ Sincerity may frighten the boy.
Sincerity may frighten the boy.

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 Rules ...
• An utterance is in a particular accent (i.e. a
particular way of pronouncing words).
• Accent and voice belong strictly to the
utterance, not to the sentence uttered.
• Not all utterances are actually tokens of
sentences, but sometimes only of parts of
sentences (phrases/single words).

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 Rules ...
• A SENTENCE - a grammatically complete string
of words expressing a complete thought.
E.g.?? I would like a cup of coffee.
Coffee, please.
Please put it in the kitchen.
In the kitchen

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 Rules ...
• A SENTENCE - a grammatically complete string
of words expressing a complete thought.
E.g. I would like a cup of coffee.
Coffee, please. - NS
Please put it in the kitchen.
In the kitchen - NS
Practices (p. 19)

9
• John can swim.
• Can John swim?
• Please swim, John.

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 Proposition
• A proposition - that part of the meaning of the
utterance of a declarative sentence which
describes some state of affairs.
The state of affairs typically involves persons/things
referred to by expressions in the sentence and
the situation/action they are involved in. In
uttering a declarative sentence a speaker
typically asserts a proposition.

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 Rules
• The notion of truth can be used to decide
whether two sentences express different
propositions. If one sentence is true and the
other is false (in any circumstances) => they
express different propositions.
E.g. + John gave Mary a book.
Mary was given a book by John.
+ Tom loves Helen.
Helen loves Tom.
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 Rules ...
 Proposition <--> declarative sentences
also involved in the meanings
of other types of sentences (interrogatives,
imperatives)
 When a speaker utters a simple declarative
sentence, he asserts the proposition.

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 Rules ...
• By uttering a simple interrogative/ imperative,
a speaker can mention a particular
proposition, without asserting its truth
E.g. ‘John can go.’
‘Can John go?’
Have the same propositional content.

Practices (p. 22)

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 Fill in the chart
Uttera Senten Propos
nce ce ition
Can be loud or quiet
Can be grammatical or
not
Can be true or false
In a particular regional
accent
In a particular
language 15
 Fill in the chart
Uttera Senten Propos
nce ce ition
Can be loud or quiet _ _
+
Can be grammatical or
not + + _
Can be true or false + + +
In a particular regional + _ _
accent
In a particular + + _
language
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 Tree diagram

Draw a tree diagram to show the

relationship between the notions:
sentence, utterance and proposition

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Tree diagram

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 Test
1. Utterance or Sentence?
a. John sang wonderfully last night.
b. ‘John sang wonderfully last night.’
2. Can a sentence be true or false? Y/N
3. Is an utterance tied to a particular time and
place? Y/N
4. Is a sentence tied to a particular time and place?
5. Can a proposition be said to be in any particular
language? Y/N
6. Can an utterance be true or false? Y/N
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