Transcript Slide 1

TASK 1
Denotations vs.
Referents
(A)
The head of state
(government)
of
the United States
of America.
Task 1: part A)
(B)
Ottawa
The city/town in
Canada that is
the official seat
of Government.
Task 1: part B)
(C)
A women who
have walked on
Task 1: part C)
(D)
A professor who
teaches me the
subject
of
linguistics
Task 1: part D)
TASK 2
Metaphors We Live By
What is a Metaphor?
A direct comparison of two otherwise unrelated things
based on analogy.
It consists of 2 parts:
- tenor or target (the thing being defined)
- vehicle or source (the thing whose attributes are being borrowed)
E.g. Life is a stage, we are merely players.
Life is the tenor or the target
Stage is the vehicle or source
(A)
•
•
•
•
She gave him an icy stare.
He gave her the cold shoulder.
He exudes a lot of warmth toward people.
They got into a heated argument.
Describes human relationships in terms of
temperature.
Task 2: part A)
(B)
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•
•
•
The eye of a needle.
The foot of the bed.
The hands of the clock.
The arm of a chair.
Describe part of household items in terms of
part of body.
Task 2: part B)
(C)
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•
•
•
This lecture is easy to digest.
He just eats up the lecturer’s words.
Chew on this thought for a while.
Listen to this juicy piece of gossip.
Describes information comprehension
in terms of ways of having food.
Task 2: part C)
(D)
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•
•
•
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•
Your claims are indefensible.
He shot down all my arguments.
His criticisms were right on target.
If you use that strategy , he’ll wipe you out.
I demolished his argument.
He attached every weak point in my argument.
Describes argument in terms of war.
Task 2: part D)
(E)
•
•
•
•
He unleased his anger.
Her anger was aroused.
Your temper is ferocious.
She was bristling with rage.
Describes anger personalities in terms of
a dangerous animal.
Task 2: part E)
TASK 3
Logical Entailment
Entailment?
Definition
Sometimes the truth of one proposition
follows from the truth of another.
Example:
A: Zechy was assassinated.
B: Zechy was killed.
Therefore, A entails B.
Task 3
Question 1
The statement “Hilary and Dana are
married to each other” entails...
Married: united in wedlock; wedded: married
couples.
Gender?
Task 3: Qn 1)
a) Hilary is a woman.
b) Dana is Hilary’s spouse.
c) Hilary and Dana are husband and
wife.
d) Dana is not single.
e) Hilary and Dana live together.
Task 3: Qn 1)
Question 2
The statement “Romeo kissed Juliet
passionately” entails…
-Romeo kissed Juliet
-Passionately: having, compelled by, or ruled
by intense emotion or strong feeling
Task 3: Qn 2)
a) Romeo kissed Juliet.
b) Juliet kissed Romeo.
c) Romeo kissed Juliet many times.
d) Juliet was kissed by Romeo.
e) Romeo loves Juliet.
Task 3: Qn 2)
Question 3
The statement “John shot Tom’s brother
dead” entails…
Crime?
Victim?
Hate?
Do they know each
other?
Task 3: Qn 3)
a) John is a murderer.
b) Tom’s brother was a victim of a
violent crime.
c) Tom’s brother is dead.
d) John knew Tom’s brother.
e) John hated Tom.
Task 3: Qn 3)
TASK 4A
Presupposition
Presuppose
Presupposition
: to assume beforehand
• Hidden premise relating to the sentence
• For example:
John regrets that Maria went to the graduation ceremony.
{Presupposition: Maria went to the graduation ceremony.}
Task 4A
Test for Presuppositions
Negation Test
Negating a sentence does not change its presupposition.
Task 4A
Part A)
John regrets that Maria went to the graduation ceremony.
John believes that Maria went to the graduation ceremony.
Which sentence contains a presupposition
relating to the truth of the complement clause?
Negation Test
Negating a sentence
does not change its
presupposition.
John
not regret
that Maria
went
the graduation
Johndid
regrets
that Maria
went to
thetograduation
ceremony.
ceremony.
{Maria went to the graduation ceremony.}
John regrets that Maria went to the graduation ceremony.
John did not regret that Maria went to the graduation ceremony.
{Maria went to the graduation ceremony.}
This presupposition did not change and has
passed the Negation Test.
An implicit assumption must be non-negotiable
for a presupposition to make sense.
Task 4A: Qn a)
Possible presupposition
{Maria went to the graduation ceremony.}
Negation Test
John believes that Maria went to the graduation ceremony.
John did not believe that Maria went to the graduation ceremony.
Maria went to the graduation ceremony. Or did she?
Presupposition might not hold because of the area of doubt.
Task 4A: Qn a)
Answer:
John regrets that Maria went to the graduation ceremony.
John believes that Maria went to the graduation ceremony.
{Maria went to the graduation ceremony.}
Task 4A: Qn a)
b)
{There were signs that the ship was in danger.}
Negation Test
The captain thought that the ship was in danger.
The captain did not think that the ship was in danger.
Were there really signs of the ship being in danger?
Presupposition might not hold because of the area of doubt.
Task 4A: Qn b)
b)
{There were signs that the ship was in danger.}
Negation Test
The captain realized that the ship was in danger.
The captain did not realize that the ship was in danger.
Task 4A: Qn b)
Answer:
The captain thought that the ship was in danger.
The captain realized that the ship was in danger.
{There were signs that the ship was in danger.}
Task 4A: Qn b)
c)
{The criminal was sentenced.}
Negation Test
It is significant that the criminal was sentenced.
It is not significant that the criminal was sentenced.
Task 4A: Qn c)
c)
{The criminal was sentenced.}
Negation Test
It is likely that the criminal was sentenced.
It is not likely that the criminal was sentenced.
Was the criminal sentenced or not?
Presupposition might not hold because of the area of doubt.
Task 4A: Qn c)
Answer:
It is significant that the criminal was sentenced.
It is likely that the criminal was sentenced.
{The criminal was sentenced.}
Task 4A: Qn c)
TASK 4B
Presupposition
Wh-questions
• A question formed with an interrogative word (who,
what, where, when, why, whose, which, how, whom)
and that expects an answer other than “yes”, or “no”.
-Richard Nordquist
• Thus, not applicable to apply the negation test in
identifying presupposition the same way as in Task 4A.
Features used
• Wh-movements
• Presupposition must be mutually assumed by speaker and
addressee for the utterance to be considered appropriate in
the context.
-Levinson, 1983
(a)
• Who killed Sylvia?
– wh-movement  “Sylvia (was) killed (by) who?”
– Possible presuppositions:
Sylvia was murdered.
Sylvia is dead.
There is a person identified as Sylvia
Task 4B: Qn a)
(a)
• Sylvia was murdered.
– She might not have been murdered.
– Could have been Sylvia herself, in which case it
would be suicide.
– Thus, it is NOT a presupposition.
Task 4B: Qn a)
(a)
• Sylvia was killed (someone caused her death)
– She might not have been murdered, but she could
have been killed, as in the question where “John
shot Ton’s brother dead.”
– Alternatively, Sylvia could have died in an accident.
– Thus, it IS a presupposition.
Task 4B: Qn a)
(a)
• Sylvia is dead.
– To ask “Who killed Sylvia?”, Sylvia must be dead,
even though how it happened is not known.
– Thus, it IS a presupposition.
Task 4B: Qn a)
(a)
• There is such a person identified as Sylvia.
– Must be assumed in order for such a question to
be asked, and both must know this person.
– Thus, it IS a presupposition.
Task 4B: Qn a)
(b)
• Where did you put the cheese?
– wh-movement “You put the cheese where?”
– Possible presuppositions:
You moved the cheese.
The cheese has been moved.
(b)
• You moved the cheese.
– May not be a definite that the addressee moved
the cheese and the addressee may not agree with
it.
– Thus, it is NOT a presupposition (?)
Task 4B: Qn b)
(b)
• You moved the cheese.
– It is a potential presupposition
– A potential presupposition is a presupposition that
is triggered by some part of an utterance taken in
isolation, but that may or may not be a
presupposition of the whole utterance
(Gazdar, 1979).
– Thus, it need not be true in any particular context,
but is presupposed in the statement.
Task 4B: Qn b)
(b)
• The cheese has been moved.
– The cheese is no longer in its original place,
meaning it has been moved to a different place,
which is a definite for the question to be asked.
– Thus, it IS a presupposition.
– Also, it is an actual presupposition as it is not
cancelled by its context.
Task 4B: Qn b)
(c)
• Why is there sadness in this world?
– wh-movement  “There is sadness in this world
because…”
– Possible presuppositions:
There is sadness in this world for a reason.
There is sadness in this world.
Speaker is sad.
Task 4B: Qn c)
(c)
• Speaker is sad.
– Might not be appropriate in the context in which
the sentence was spoken.
– Not necessary that the speaker is sad. He could be
making an observation of the world.
– Thus, it is NOT a presupposition.
Task 4B: Qn c)
(c)
• There is a reason for sadness in this world.
• There is sadness in this world.
– Whether or not there is a reason for it, sadness
exists in this world.
– Thus, “There is sadness in this world” is a
presupposition.
Task 4B: Qn c)
References
• Levinson, S. C. (1983). Pragmatics. Cambridge, Engla
nd: Cambridge University.
• Richard, N. (n.d.). wh-question. Grammar & composit
ion. Retrieved from http://grammar.about.com/od/tz
/g/whquestion.htm
• Gazdar, G. (1979). Pragmatics: Implicature, presuppo
sition, and logical form. New York: Academic.
Thank you 
Questions?