ENGL141904 Discourse Analysis – Lecturer: Ms. Hoa Nguyen
COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLE – GROUP 1
1. Background knowledge.
1.1.Conversational maxims:
 Maxim of quality: In a conversation, only say what you believe to be true and what you have
sufficient evidence for. (Be true)
 Maxim of quantity: Be neither more nor less informative than is required by the purpose of
the conversation. (Be brief)
 Maxim of relation: Make your contributions to the conversation relevant to what is being
discussed. (Be relevant)
 Maxim of manner: Make your contributions to the conversation as clear, brief, and as
orderly as possible. (Be clear)
1.2.Uses of conversational maxims:
In a conversation, speakers can choose to:
 Observe a maxim: Speakers properly follow a maxim.
 Flout a maxim: Speakers do not observe a maxim on purpose (to create an implicature) and
intend their hearer to be aware of it.
 Violate a maxim: Speakers are liable to mislead their hearer.
 Infringe a maxim: Speakers fail to observe a maxim with no intention to deceive.
 Opt out a maxim: Speakers choose not to cooperate.
 Overlaps between maxims: Speakers flout more than one maxim at a time.
2. Extract analysis.
(Scan to watch. The video will be
analysed from 06:56-09:16)
2.1.Reasoning for choosing the extract.
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2.2.Overview of background.
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2.3.Analysis.
Video scripts
Analysis
[06:56-07:25]
Inteviewer: You have a boyfriend now?
Adele: No.
I: You’re a single woman?
A: Single woman, yep.
I: You like Japanese? He is (a) single man.
A: Uhm, I…
I: He's looking for some time for a date.
A: Maybe tonight you can have a… He would like to have dinner with
you tonight.
I: Oh, okay…uhm… I.
A: Oh, thank you. I'm going home tonight. I'm going home to England.
Flying home in probably about half an hour.
[07:25-08:04]
I: So, if you are in the mood that you don't have boyfriends, what do you
do?
I: It's a very serious question.
A: Oh my god. I just go to sleep yeah.
I: But you have to do it.
A: You don't have to do it.
I: But it's good for you.
A: It's good for you but you don't have to do it. I don't really want to talk
about masturbating, (when) interviewing in the cameras.
I: I was not talking about masturbating. I was talking about singing.
I: You’re talking about sex all the time!
[08:04-08:16]
I: Okay serious question now. Is it true you went to school with skinny
but pretty voice, totally tattooed all over your body, drug taking singer
Miss Wine in the house?
A: Sorry, say that again. Sorry, pardon?
I: Is it true you went to school with skinny but pretty voice, totally
tattooed all over your body, drug taking singer Miss Wine in the house?
A: No, it’s not. I…[lol] No, I didn’t. Sorry, I’m a little crying. No, I
didn't.
I: A serious question.
A: Yep, I um…
I: I tell the question again? Is it true you went to school with skinny but
pretty voice, totally tattooed all over your body, drug taking singer Miss
Wine in the house?
A: I did, yeah.
I: Yes, you like her voice?
A: Yeah. I love Amy Winehouse.
I: Yeah, you have (a) better voice.
A: Oh, f**k, thank you very much.
I: Yeah.
2.4.Final remarks.
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