EL1101E
WEEK 10: PRAGMATICS
Group members:
Elaine Ong
Ong Min
Thakshayeni Skanthakumar
Jeannie Poon
Question 1: Speech Act


An utterance that has performative function
Has three principle components
1.
2.
3.
Locution: syntactic structure & linguistic meaning
Illocution: the speaker’s intention in making the
utterance
Perlocution: the addressee’s behavioural response
Direct vs Indirect Speech Acts
Direct

Syntactic form of the utterance = intent
i.e. an interrogative sentence to question
Indirect

Syntactic form ≠ intent
i.e. an interrogative sentence to request
Performative Verb

verbs carried out simply by means of uttering them
aloud

Example: apologizing
By saying we apologize, we perform an expressive act
simultaneously with the naming of that expressive act
Speech Act a) Question
Direct:


I question the witness’ reliability.
Is the witness lying?
Indirect

I wonder if the witness is telling the truth.
**Expressive speech act form
Speech Act b) Request
Direct:


I request that you wear something else for the party
Please wear something else for the party
Indirect

I don’t think you should wear that for the party.
**Verdictive speech act form
Speech Act c) Promise
Direct:


I promise to attend tonight’s party.
I will attend tonight’s party.
Indirect

I am free. (In response to an invitation to attend
tonight’s party)
**Representative speech act form
Question 2: Gricean Maxims of Conversation





There are four cooperative Maxims:
1) Maxim of Quantity (say enough)
2) Maxim of Quality (don’t lie)
3) Maxim of Relation (say something relevant)
4) Maxim of Manner (don’t mislead)
Question 2: Gricean Maxims of Conversation
Professor A:
 His statements are based on unfounded opinions
 Never backs up his statements with anything factual
Violates:
 Maxim of quality (lacks adequate evidence for
what he says)
Question 2: Gricean Maxims of Conversation
Professor B:
1) Every sentence is about a million words long
Violates:
 Maxim of quantity (Too much information within a single
sentence)
 2) She uses all this complicated vocabulary, and she never
defines any of the words
Violates:
 Maxim of manner (Obscurity of expression results in
distractions, students are unable to understand the meaning
of the sentences)

Question 2: Gricean Maxims of Conversation
Professor C:
 Interrupt himself with a story about what his son did
at breakfast this morning
 He goes off on so many tangents
Violates:
 Maxim of relevance (Irrelevant information)
 Maxim of quantity (There is no fixed focus in his
lectures, he says too much)
Question 2: Gricean Maxims of Conversation
Professor D:
 Does not give thorough answers to the questions
Violates:
 Maxim of Quantity (Too little information)
Q3: PRAGMATIC COMPETENCE
Story:
Mother: Go ask your uncle what he
wants to drink
Child goes to Uncle.
Child: Uncle, uncle, what you want
to drink?
Child goes to her room.
Q3: Pragmatic Competence
Illocution
vs
Perlocution
Illocution


Intention of the speaker with an utterance
3 forms
 Declarative:
“Apples grow on trees”
 Interrogative: “So apples grow on trees?”
 Imperative “One apple, please!”
Perlocution


Effect of utterance on hearer
3 forms
 Declarative:
“You are under arrest.”
 Interrogative: “Can you stop crying?”
 Imperative: “Get me salt”
Q3: PRAGMATIC COMPETENCE
Story:
Mother: Go ask your uncle what he
wants to drink
Child goes to Uncle.
Child: Uncle, uncle, what you want
to drink?
Child goes to her room.
Q3: Pragmatic Competence
Mother: Go ask your uncle what he
wants to drink
What she meant: Perlocutionary utterance
1)
Go to Uncle
2)
Ask him what drink he wants
3)
Come back and tell me
What about the Uncle?
Assumption:
Uncle: Milo.
What he could have said:
Uncle: Get me milo.
Question 4: Pragmatic Analysis of Apology in Singapore?
Case study
 I sincerely apologise if I have offended or hurt anyone
with my comment. It was indeed uncalled for. Upon
further reflection, I realise how insensitive I was, the
comment wasn’t meant to hurt anybody. I would like to
apologise to Cindy and her family. I will learn from this
and be very mindful of my comments and behaviour on
social media. Once again, to everyone who I have
offended by this post, I sincerely apologise.
Miss Jesslyn Tan
(Miss Universe Singapore)
Question 4: Pragmatic Analysis of Apology in Singapore?
Felicity conditions for apology
 Condition 1: Admission of fault (not fulfilled; she denies
responsibility for the comment she made; I sincerely
apologise if I have offended or hurt anyone with my
comment. It was indeed uncalled for + the comment wasn’t
meant to hurt anybody)
 Condition 2: Sincere expression of remorse (fulfilled; “I
sincerely apologise” “I would like to apologise to Cindy and
her family.”)
 Condition 3: Promise of non-recurrence (fulfilled; “I will learn
from this and be very mindful of my comments and
behaviour on social media; she won’t do this again.)
Question 4: Pragmatic Analysis of Apology in Singapore?
But, was the apology
effective overall?
Question 4: Pragmatic Analysis of Apology in Singapore?
Must depend on the
situation in which the
apology is made!
Question 4: Pragmatic Analysis of Apology in Singapore?





We feel that it was not effective overall.
Use of apology words(yes)
But she did not explain why it was her fault
Private venue; her apology was made behind the
computer even though she is a public figure
Insincere; it is possible that she is not remorseful.