Playing with Words
Aesop:
伊索
Clothing store using this name
衣索
Chapter 5 Homework
(Ex. # 10, pp. 226-227)
a. Mary
agent
a ball
theme
in the house
location
b. the children
agent
from the playground
source
to the wading pool
goal
Chapter 5 Homework
(Ex. # 10, pp. 226-227)
c. one of the men
all the doors
with a paper clip
d. John
the ice
with a blowtorch
e. the sun
the ice
agent
theme
instrument
agent
theme
instrument
causative
theme
Chapter 5 Homework
(Ex. # 10, pp. 226-227)
f. the ice
g. with a telescope
the boy
the man
h. the farmer
hay
onto the truck
theme
instrument
experiencer
theme
agent
theme
goal
Chapter 5 Homework
(Ex. # 10, pp. 226-227)
i. the farmer
the hay
with a pitchfork
j. the hay
on the truck
by the farmer
agent
theme
instrument
theme
goal
agent
If the balloons popped, the sound wouldn’t be able
to carry since everything would be too far away from
the correct floor. A closed window would also
prevent the sound from carrying, since most
buildings tend to be well insulated. Since the whole
operation depends on a steady flow of electricity, a
break in the middle of the wire would also cause
problems. Of course, the fellow could shout, but the
human voice is not loud enough to carry that far. An
additional problem is that a string could break on the
instrument. Then there could be no accompaniment
to the message. It is clear that the best situation
would involve less distance. Then there would be
fewer potential problems. With face to face contact,
the least number of things could go wrong.
Bransford and Johnson, 1972, p. 719, quoted in Omaggio, 1986,
pp. 103-104.
Pro-Forms
Pro-NP / Pronoun
Jan saw the boy with the telescope.
Dan also saw him.
Pro-VP
Emily hugged Cassidy
and Zachary did too.
Pro-S
I am sick, which depresses me.
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2003. An Introduction to
Language. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, p. 210.
A vs. The
I bought a new jacket.
A jacket is red.
I bought a new jacket.
The jacket is red.
A vs. The
My brothers arrived last night.
Today, one is meeting me for lunch,
the other is going to Kenting.
Today, one is meeting me for lunch,
another is going to Kenting.
Deriving Meaning from
Linguistic Context
 Previous sentences
 Pronouns
 Articles
Deriving Meaning from
Situational Context
 Maxims of Conversation
 Speech Acts
 Presuppositions
 Deixis
Maxims of Conversation
1. Quantity
Say neither more nor less than the discourse requires.
2. Relevance
Be relevant.
3. Manner
Be brief and orderly; avoid ambiguity and obscurity.
4. Quality
Do not lie; do not make unsupported claims.
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2003. An
Introduction to Language. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, pp. 213-214.
Violating the Maxims of
Conversation
1. Letter of Recommendation
NOT saying ENOUGH
2. Does Sally have a boyfriend?
She goes to Taipei every weekend.
3. Masticating alimentary sustenance
thoroughly can promote enhanced
cholesterol levels.
4. Who took my book?
Bill. I heard someone say he came out…
Presuppositions
a. Have you stopped hugging your
sheepdog?
b. Who bought the badminton set?
c. John doesn’t write poems anymore.
d. The present King of France is bald.
e. Would you like another beer?
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2003. An
Introduction to Language. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, p. 216.
Chapter 5 Homework
(Ex. # 17, pp. 228-229)
a. Please take me out to the ball game again.
I have been to a ball game before.
b. Valerie regretted not receiving a new T-bird
for Labor Day.
Valerie did not get a new T-bird.
(At least not for Labor Day.)
c. That her pet turtle ran away made Emily
very sad.
Emily’s pet turtle ran away.
Chapter 5 Homework
(Ex. # 17, pp. 228-229)
d. The administration forgot that the professors support
the students.
The professors support the students.
Vs. The administration believes that the professors
support the students.
They believe it, but it may not be true.
e. It is an atrocity that the World Trade Center was
attacked on September 11, 2001.
The WTC was attacked.
The attack occurred September 11, 2001.
Chapter 5 Homework
(Ex. # 17, pp. 228-229)
f. Isn’t it an atrocity that the World Trade
Center was attacked on September 11, 2001?
The WTC was attacked.
The attack occurred September 11, 2001.
g. Disa wants more popcorn.
Disa has already had some popcorn.
Chapter 5 Homework
(Ex. # 17, pp. 228-229)
h. Why don’t pigs have wings?
Pigs do not have wings.
i. Who discovered Pluto in 1930?
Someone discovered Pluto.
It was discovered in 1930.
Deixis
 First and Second person pronouns
 Free Third person pronouns
 Demonstratives (Pronouns and NPs)
 Time deixis
 Place deixis
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2003. An Introduction to
Language. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, pp. 218-219.