Anglistik 3 | Department of English Language and Linguistics

Pragmatics

Quiz

Which of the following statements correctly describe semantics and/or pragmatics?
1. Semantics is about language, pragmatics is about non-verbal behaviour.
2. Semantics is about what is said, pragmatics is about what is meant by the speaker.
3. Pragmatics is not interested in the context of utterances.
4. Pragmatics describes the meaning potential in any kind of context.
5. Semantics deals with context-invariant meaning.
Mark those statements below which are correct.
1. In the sentence I went to New York, New York is an instance of place deixis.
2. In the sentence I want this book, I is an example of person deixis.
3. In the sentence I went to new York yesterday, yesterday is an instance of time deixis.
4. In the sentence New York is my favourite city, my is an instance of person deixis.
5. In the sentence People love that city, people is an instance of person deixis.
Which of the following utterances are likely to be interpreted as indirect speech acts?
1. Can you please read this out loud?
2. Can you read this from there?
3. I now beg you to read it yourself.
4. A: Is this your office?
  B: Can you read?
5. Can you stop reading here for a moment?
Which of the following inferences that a hearer can make are conversational implicatures?
1. A: Do you have pets?
  B: I have a dog. inference: I have no other pets.
2. Sue’s dog is a bobtail. inference: Sue has a dog.
3. Timmy is a bobtail. inference: Timmy is a dog.
4. Help! There’s a dog! inference: Help me because I am afraid of dogs.
5. As far as I know that’s a bobtail. inference: I’m not quite sure about the race.