Grice's maxims and implicature

Introduction to English
Linguistics (Part 2)
Cornelius Puschmann, M.A.
introling.ynada.com

Gricean Maxims

Implicatures
What we intend with an expression (the illocution) is often more than
what is literally expressed:


What we intend with an expression (the illocution) is often more than
what is literally expressed:
A: Let's go for a walk
B: It's raining
B's illocution = I don't want to go for a walk because it's raining.

Pragmatic implicature allows us to construct meaning taking into
account the context and certain assumptions we have about
communication

Pragmatic implicature allows us to construct meaning taking into
account the context and certain assumptions we have about
communication
A: What time is it?
B: The evening news just started
=> A can infer from the context what time it is
Pragmatic implicature allows us to construct meaning taking into
account the context and certain assumptions we have about
communication
A: What time is it?
B: The evening news just started
=> A can infer from the context what time it is
A: When are you coming to visit us ?
B: I'm very busy at the moment
=> A can infer from that B means 'No'

H.P. Grice and the cooperative principle
Herbert Paul Grice (on the right) was,
like Austin, concerned with language as
people use it in communication
From his theory of the cooperative
principle he derived a list of
so-called conversational maxims
These maxims make it possible to
explain how pragmatic implicatures
work

The cooperative principle
(1) What time is it?
(2) It's 4:45
(3) I left my watch at home
(4) It is, while there are many other interesting issues to talk about,
right now 4:45
(5) You are wearing a funny hat
(6) China has a population of over 1.3 billion

"Make your contribution such as it is required, at the stage at which it
occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in
which you are engaged"
- Grice

"Make your contribution such as it is required, at the stage at which it
occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in
which you are engaged"
- Grice
What it means:
in communication, we are constantly trying to understand the
intention of our communicative partners
likewise, we assume that what they have to say must be relevant
to us and to the current situation

Conversational maxims
Maxim of Quality
Truth
Do not say what you believe to be false
Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence

Conversational maxims
Maxim of Quantity
Information
Make your contribution as informative as is required for the
current purposes of the exchange
Do not make your contribution more informative than is requi

Maxim of Relation
Relevance
Be relevant

Maxim of Manner
Clarity
Avoid obscurity of expression
Avoid ambiguity
Be brief
Be orderly

But what about...
lies? (which violate quality)
boring, seemingly endless speeches? (which violate quantity)
randomness? (which violates relation)
instruction manuals / legal babble / Fachchinesisch /
incomprehensible scientific texts....? (which violate manner)

The fact that we recognize the deficiencies of these instances of
language use shows that the maxims exist


Hedges
We use a range of linguistic devices (called hedges) to qualify the
things we say in regards to their adherence to the conversational
maxims
As far as I know....
Correct me if I'm wrong...
I'm not completely sure, but...
it could / might / may be...
I feel / think / assume...

Quality
Do not say what you believe to be false
Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence


Quantity
Make your contribution as informative as is required for the
current purposes of the exchange
Do not make your contribution more informative than is required

Relation
Be relevant

Manner
Avoid obscurity of expression
Avoid ambiguity
Be brief
Be orderly

Cohesion and coherence
cohesion = the structural connectedness of elements in a discourse
(cohesive ties)
coherence = the degree to which the elements of a discourse "make
sense

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