Pragmatics

Module in Introduction to Linguistics

First Semester

Published by:
Laguerder, Jheremy B.
 Republic of the Philippines
CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY Bacoor City Campus
SHIV, Molino VI, Bacoor City, Cavite

PREFACE

This module creates to support learners to broad their knowledge in pragmatics, also
this module is designed to sharpen the students' intelligence and skills to broad their
knowledge. As we go on our adventure, we explore the finer points that control language use
in communication. Pragmatics, the study of language in context, challenges us to unravel the
secret meanings buried in the ordinary exchanges we have with one another. These
meanings go beyond the literal and encompass inferred intentions, social dynamics, and
cultural quirks.

Our exploration deepens with a focus on speech act theory, a conceptual framework
that illuminates language as a dynamic tool for performing actions. We contemplate the
intricacies of various speech acts – from assertions to directives – recognizing their
transformative power in shaping our interactions and influencing the behavior of others.

We confront the guiding principles encapsulated in Grice's Maxims, a set of

conversational norms that underpin effective communication. Whether it is the maxim of
quantity, quality, relation, or manner, these principles provide a roadmap for clarity,
relevance, and mutual understanding in discourse, fostering a cooperative and harmonious
exchange of ideas.

Join us in this exploration, where language is not merely a system of symbols but a
dynamic force that shapes the contours of our social reality. As we embark on this journey,
let the pages ahead unfold a deeper understanding of the subtle dance of communication
and the profound impact it has on our interconnected world.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page……………………………………………………………………………….1

Preface………………………………………………………………………………….2

Learning Objectives……………………………………………………………………4

Assessment…………………………………………………………………………….4

Lesson:
PRAGMATICS
● What is pragmatics?.....................................................................................5

● Difference between syntax, semantics,.............................................6

and pragmatics

● Example of pragmatics……………………………………………………8

● SPEECH ACT THEORY…………………………………………………...11

● MAXIMS/PRINCIPLES OF CONVERSATION…………………………..12
(HERBERT PAUL GRICE)

Activity 1………………………………………………………………………….13

Activity 2………………………………………………………………………….15

References……………………………………………………………………….16
 Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define the pragmatics;

2. Identify the use of all examples of inside the pragmatics
3. Differentiate the metaphor, sarcasm, irony, tautology, deixis, euphemism, jokes and
humor, hyperbole, and silence.
4. Identify the speech act theory; and
5. Discuss the Grice’s maxims

Assessment

Direction: Identify what is described on the following statements. Encircle the

letter that corresponds to your answer. Note: Do not look yet on the content of the
module. Answer this using your background knowledge. “Honesty is the best policy”

1. It is the study of how context contributes to meaning.

a. Pragmatics c. Sentence
b. Communication d. Syntax

2. What is pragmatics?
a. Pragmatic is the science of studying about meaning and interpretation of words,
signs, and sentence structure.
b. Pragmatic is the science of studying about contextual meaning delivered by the
speaker (writer) and interpreted by the listener (reader).
c. Pragmatic is the science of studying about meaning of linguistic expressions.
d. None of these

3. Temporal Deixis: English has only two basic forms, the time now, for example, I live here
now; and the ________, for example, I live here last month.
a. Present participle
b. Future
c. Present
d. Past
4. What does Deixis mean?
a. Deixis is the use of general words and phrases to refer to a specific time, place, or
person in context.
b. Deixis is based on the information that is right and combined with experiences.
c. Deixis is an act in which a speaker or writer, uses linguistic forms to enable a listener
or reader to identify something.
d. None of these

5. Deixis is divided into three principles. Choose the three principles.

a. Personal Deixis
b. Context Deixis
c. Spatial Deixis
d. Grammar Deixis
e. Temporal Deixis

LESSON PRAGMATICS: DEFINITION, EXAMPLE,

AND DIFFERENCES

What is Pragmatics?

Pragmatics is used in language learning, where teachers have to teach not just the

literal meanings of words and phrases, but their contextualized and culturally-relevant

meanings to help improve the learners’ capacity to meaningfully comprehend the new

language (Searle, 2010). It is also used in linguistics and academic research, such as when

pragmatics is applied in textual analysis to develop deeper and culturally-relevant

understandings of texts.
Sometimes, the literal meaning of what is said isn’t the implied meaning. For example,

pragmatics such as metaphor, irony, euphemism, and sarcasm require contextual

understanding to get the true meaning.

Pragmatics goes beyond the literal meaning of words and phrases to understand the

intended message based on factors like:

● The social situation

● The relationship between the speakers

● The cultural context

● The situational context

● The way the words are said

● Etc.

Difference between syntax, semantics, and pragmatics

● Syntax is the study of sentence structure and the rules of grammar. While people can do
what they want with language (and many often do), syntax helps common users of a
language understand how to organize words so that they make the most sense.

E.g. "The through pasture the chased a dog rabbit."

Using normal rules of syntax, our first example sentence means nothing. But rearrange
those exact words in a new order and they make perfect syntactical sense: "The dog
chased a rabbit through the pasture."
● Semantics is the study of the meaning of sentences. For example, there's a world of
difference between these two sentences:

E.g. "I robbed a bank;" and, "A bank robbed me."

In the first sentence, I took money from a bank against their will. And in the second
sentence, they took money from me.

Also, if we rearrange our first example to read, "A rabbit chased the dog through
the pasture," it might make sense as far as syntax but seem a little odd when considering
semantics. That's because rabbits don't usually chase dogs.

Another example: "The squirrel sang bumper cars."

On a pure syntax level, this sentence "makes sense" with a noun-verb-noun structure. It's
only when you bring in semantics that you think, how the heck does a squirrel sing bumper
cars?

● Pragmatics takes semantics one step further because it's the study of the meaning of
sentences within a certain context.

If we jump back over to the example of a rabbit chasing a dog, we can look at the oddity of
that statement and square it with reality when we learn more about the dog's long history of
being a scaredy cat.

Also, consider the declarative sentence, "Break it down."

The meaning of this sentence changes dramatically with context. If you're at the end of a
large gathering and someone tells you to "break it down," they may mean for you to help
put away folding chairs and folding tables. On a dance floor, a person would logically hear
"break it down" as a call to show off some super sweet dance moves. In a business
presentation, "break it down" may be a call for you to share your great business-related
concept.

Of course, a person may interpret "break it down" as literally knocking over a tower of
building blocks. Or even bringing down a building (or other large structure) if they work in
construction.
 In other words, syntax is what we use to do our best to communicate on the most
basic level. Semantics helps us determine if there's any meaning to be found. Pragmatics
enables us to apply the correct meaning to the correct situation.

Example of pragmatics

1. Metaphor - Metaphors are a way of expressing one thing in terms of another, often to
enhance understanding or create a vivid image.

For example, If someone says, “Time is a thief,” they don’t mean this literally. Rather,
they’re conveying the idea that time can pass quickly and unexpectedly, much like a thief
might operate.

This understanding comes from our shared cultural knowledge about what thieves do (steal,
often without being noticed until later).

(Pragmatics allows us to make sense of metaphors by connecting language with our wider
knowledge of the world.)

2. Sarcasm - In sarcasm, the intended meaning of the speaker is often the opposite of the
literal meaning of their words.

For instance, if it’s raining heavily and someone says, “Great weather, isn’t it?” but, they
don’t actually mean the weather is pleasant. Rather, they’re implying that the weather is
terrible.

The listener understands this inversion not from the words themselves but from the context
(the fact it’s raining), as well as the speaker’s tone of voice and possibly their facial
expressions or body language.

(Pragmatics enables us to interpret sarcasm correctly.)

3. Irony - like sarcasm, involves a divergence between the literal and intended meanings, but
it’s often used to highlight contradictions or incongruities.

Consider a habitual procrastinator who announces, “I’ll start my project right away.”

If we know this person’s history of putting things off, we might interpret their statement as
ironic. They say they’ll start immediately, but we understand, based on our knowledge of
their usual behavior, that they probably won’t.
 (Pragmatics allows us to make these kinds of interpretations based on our shared
background knowledge about the speaker (Kecskes, 2020; Sperber & Wilson, 1995).)

4. Tautology - This is a statement that is true in every possible interpretation or a statement

that repeats the same idea in different words (Booth, 2015).

For example, if someone says, “It’s déjà vu all over again,” they’re using a tautology. The
phrase “déjà vu” already implies experiencing something again, so adding “all over again”
doesn’t add new information—it emphasizes the feeling of repetition.

(Recognizing tautologies requires an understanding of both the literal meanings of the words
and the speaker’s intention to emphasize or dramatize their message.)

5. Deixis - Deictic expressions are words or phrases whose meanings depend on the context in
which they’re used (Stapleton, 2017).

Consider a statement like, “I’ll meet you there at five.” Without context, we wouldn’t know
what “there” refers to, nor whether “five” means five in the morning or evening.

If we’ve been discussing a particular café and we typically meet in the evenings, we can use
that information to interpret the meaning accurately.

There are four types of deixis, and each requires context to understand the message:

● Personal Deixis: Refers to language that identifies the participants in a conversation

without directly naming them. For example, if you read a diary you found and the writer
refers to themselves as “I”, you’d need more context to understand who that person
actually is – “I” alone doesn’t help.

● Temporal Deixis: Involves words and expressions that locate events or states in time
relative to the moment of speaking. For example, if you watch a movie where a prophet
claims, “The world will end in 3 years”, but you don’t know when the movie was filmed,
you’ll be none the wiser about when the world will end.

● Spatial Deixis: This deals with the spatial location of an object or person relative to the
speaker. Example: If someone says, “The cat is over there,” “there” indicates a location
relative to the speaker’s current position. But, you need to know the speaker’s current
position for it to make any sense to you.

● Discourse Deixis: Discourse deixis refers to words or expressions that make reference
to another part of the conversation, either earlier or later. For, example, when someone
says, “As I said earlier, we should invest more in technology,” the phrase “as I said
 earlier” points to a previous part of the conversation. You would need to have been
present for that earlier part to get the full context (Stapleton, 2017).
6. Euphemisms - are softer or less direct ways of expressing something that may be
unpleasant, sensitive, or taboo.

If someone says, “He passed away” instead of “He died,” they’re using a euphemism to
talk about death in a less harsh way.

(Recognizing this indirectness is a pragmatic skill, as it involves understanding how people

often try to mitigate potentially upsetting or offensive messages.)

7. Jokes And Humor -Understanding jokes often requires competence in social and cultural
contexts. Similarly, knowing how to make a good joke (and avoid ones beyond the pale)
requires people to be tapped into the social milieu.

For example, the classic joke, “Why don’t we ever tell secrets on a farm? Because the
potatoes have eyes, the corn has ears and the beans stalk.”

This joke relies on an understanding of idiomatic language and the ability to connect
disparate ideas—farming and secrecy—in a playful way.

It also often requires cultural knowledge (for instance, knowing that “to stalk” someone
means to follow them surreptitiously).

8. Hyperbole - This is a figure of speech that involves exaggeration for emphasis or dramatic
effect.

If someone says, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” they don’t literally mean they could
consume an entire horse.

Rather, they’re exaggerating their hunger to convey its intensity. Understanding hyperbole
requires recognizing this figurative use of language and interpreting it in relation to the
speaker’s likely intent (Kecskes, 2020).

9. Use Of Silence - Pragmatics also involves understanding what’s not said. Silence can
communicate a lot based on the context.

For example, if during a meeting someone proposes an idea and there’s a long pause, that
silence might communicate disagreement, awkwardness, surprise, or the need for further
contemplation, depending on the specific dynamics and norms of the group (Levinson, 2000;
Levinson, 2013). Interpreting silence correctly involves understanding these broader social
factors.
Similarly, if we choose to exclude something from the discussion (e.g. not talking
about ‘the elephant in the room’ or a taboo),. In that case,this is context that needs to be
considered in a discussion to make full meaning of the communication.

SPEECH ACT THEORY

 Speech act theory is a subfield of pragmatics that studies how words are used not only to
present information but also to carry out actions.
The speech act theory was introduced by Oxford philosopher J.L. Austin in (How to Do
Things With Words) and further developed by American philosopher J.R. Searle. It considers
the degree to which utterances are said to perform locutionary acts, illocutionary acts,
and/or perlocutionary acts.

1. Locutionary Acts - A locutionary act is the act of making a meaningful utterance, a stretch of
spoken language that is preceded by silence and followed by silence or a change of speaker
—also known as a locution or an utterance act.
Locutionary acts can be broken into two basic types: utterance acts and
propositional acts.
● An utterance act is a speech act that consists of the verbal employment of units of
expression such as words and sentences, notes the Glossary of Linguistic Terms.
Example: Oh! - is an utterance (communication is not intended) - it is just a sound
caused by surprise.

● Propositional acts are where a particular reference is made.

Example: "The black cat" (something is referenced), but no communication may be

intended.

2. Illocutionary Acts - Refers to the use of a sentence to express an attitude with a certain
function or "force," called an illocutionary force, which differs from locutionary acts in that they
carry a certain urgency and appeal to the meaning and direction of the speaker.

Types of Illocutionary act

Assertives Stating, claiming, reporting, announcing

Directives Ordering, requesting, demanding, begging

Commissives Promising, offering

Expressives Thanking, apologizing, congratulating

Declarations Naming a ship, resigning, sentencing, dismissing, marrying

3. Perlocutionary Acts - A perlocutionary act is an action or state of mind brought about by, or
as a consequence of, saying something. It is also known as a perlocutionary effect.
Example: “Please feed the cat while I'm gone.”
 To make an utterance with the intention of affecting the behavior of the receiver

MAXIMS/PRINCIPLES OF CONVERSATION (HERBERT PAUL

GRICE)

Herbert Paul Grice further elaborated the cooperative principle through four maxims.
These maxims are:

1. Maxim of Quality - Do not say what you believe to be false or lack adequate evidence for.

Example:

2. Maxim of Quantity - Make your contribution as informative as is required, but not more.

Example:

3. Maxim of Relation - Only say things that are relevant to the current conversation.

Example:
4. Maxim of Manner - Be clear, brief, and orderly, such as not talking out of turn and do not
dominate the conversation.

Example:

Activity: Multiple Choice

Direction: Read the following statements. On a separate sheet of paper, choose the letter of
the correct answer.

_______1. This Maxim of Conversation states that; make your contribution as informative as
is required, but not more.

a. Maxim of Relation c. Maxim of Manner

b. Maxim of Quantity d. Maxim of Quality

_______2. He elaborated on the cooperative principle through four maxims.

a. Noam Chomsky c. Herbert Paul Grice

b. Otto Jepersen d. Henry Sy

_______3. It is an action or state of mind brought about by, or as a consequence of, saying
something. It is also known as a perlocutionary effect.

a. Maxim of Quantity c. Locutionary Acts

b. Illocutionary Acts d. Perlocutionary Acts

_______4. This is a figure of speech that involves exaggeration for emphasis or dramatic
effect.

a. Deixis c. Tautology
b. Hyperbole d. Sarcasm

_______5. Are softer or less direct ways of expressing something that may be unpleasant,
sensitive, or taboo.
 a. Euphemism c. Syntax
b. Deixis d. Pragmatics

_______6. It is the study of sentence structure and the rules of grammar.

a. Pragmatics c. Morphology
b. Semantics d. Syntax

_______7. It is a way of expressing one thing in terms of another, often to enhance

understanding or create a vivid image.

a. Euphemism c. Metaphor
b. Irony d. Silence

_______8. In four types of deixis. This type of deixis involves words and expressions that
locate events or states in time relative to the moment of speaking.

a. Personal Deixis c. Temporal Deixis

b. Discourse Deixis d. Discourse Deixis

_______9. In four types of deixis. It is refers to words or expressions that make reference to
another part of the conversation, either earlier or later.

a. Personal Deixis c. Temporal Deixis

b. Discourse Deixis d. Discourse Deixis

_______10. It is a subfield of pragmatics that studies how words are used not only to
present information but also to carry out actions.

a. Maxim of Conversation c. Speech Act Theory

b. Example of Pragmatics d. Pragmatics

Activity 2
Direction: For the last activity. In a separate sheet of paper, give at least 2 examples that are
assigned to you below.

Use the 4 maxims of conversation in a sentence. Label each. Give at least 2

examples in each maxims of conversation. (4x2=8)
 Ex. I’m a multimillionaire. (Actually, I’m penniless) (quality)

ANSWER KEY:

Assessment:
1. A 2. B 3. D 4. A 5. A, C, E

Activity 1
1. B 6. D
2. C 7. C
3. D 8. C
4. B 9. B
5. A 10. C

Activity 2
Answer may vary
REFERENCES:

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/semantics-vs-syntax-vs-pragmatics-
grammar-rules
https://helpfulprofessor.com/pragmatics-examples/
● Searle, J. R. (2010). Making the social world: The structure of human civilization.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
● Sperber, D., and Wilson, D. (1986/1995). Relevance: Communication and cognition.
London: Blackwell.
● Stapleton, A. (2017). Deixis in modern linguistics. Essex Student Journal, 9(1).
● Levinson, S. C. (2013). Action formation and ascription. In J. Sidnell & T. Stivers
(Eds.), The Handbook of Conversation Analysis, (pp. 103-130). New York: Wiley-
Blackwell,
● Booth, S. (2015). Close reading without readings. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
● Crystal, D. (2008). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics (6th ed.). New York:
Blackwell.
● Grice, H. P. (1975). Logic and conversation. In P. Cole & J. L. Morgan (Eds.), Syntax
and Semantics: Speech Acts (Vol. 3, pp. 41-58). Academic Press.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pragmatics-in-linguistics-
guide#3WMLaaaPvTMqLd2U1G5r38
https://www.thoughtco.com/speech-act-theory-1691986
● Nordquist, R. (2020, January 25). Speech Act Theory. ThoughtCo.

https://www.slideserve.com/melia/speech-acts-what-is-a-speech-act
● Melia. (2014, July 16). PPT - Speech Acts: What is a Speech Act? PowerPoint

Presentation, free download - ID:1812117. SlideServe.

https://www.slideserve.com/jui/dialogue-systems-ii

● Jui. (2012, July 25). PPT - Dialogue systems II PowerPoint Presentation, free

download - ID:589983. SlideServe.

https://linguisticsguide.blogspot.com/2014/03/speech-acts.html
https://www.slideshare.net/amorkhulet/elt-amor
● Elt amor. (2015b, July 10). [Slide show]. SlideShare.

https://youtu.be/vnnO1bGVz2o?si=4Gij1aoHmw0xz5_Z
https://www.slideserve.com/leewalter/pragmatics-powerpoint-ppt-presentation
● Leewalter. (2020, January 5). PPT - Pragmatics PowerPoint Presentation, free
download - ID:9609888. SlideServe.

Prepared by: Jheremy B. Laguerder