Pragmatics

Question 1

what is implicature?

Answer 1

the implied reasoning for why something might’ve been mentioned

Question 2

what is assertion and presupposition?

Answer 2

assertion: direct claim/statement

presupposition: based on background information (ex. Jane stopped writing fiction. the presupposition would be that she used to write fiction)

Question 3

what is the difference between implicature and presupposition?

Answer 3

presupposition survives when negated while implicature doesn’t

ex. the giraffe in this room is wearing a hat –> the giraffe in this room is not wearing a hat (survived)

have you seen the Parthenon? –> i have not spent a study-abroad semester in athens (doesn’t work)

Question 4

what is pragmatics?

Answer 4

relates meaning of expressions to context outside of those expressions