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Unit 6, Semantics - VNese

This document discusses semantics and includes examples of predicates, referring expressions, and universes of discourse. It defines key terms such as referring expressions, predicates, generic sentences, and universe of discourse. Examples are provided to illustrate the distinction between referring expressions and predicates, how predicates can help identify referents, and how language can refer to both real and imaginary entities depending on the universe of discourse. Practice questions and answers are also included to help reinforce understanding of these semantic concepts.

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Sang Nguyễn
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1K views

Unit 6, Semantics - VNese

This document discusses semantics and includes examples of predicates, referring expressions, and universes of discourse. It defines key terms such as referring expressions, predicates, generic sentences, and universe of discourse. Examples are provided to illustrate the distinction between referring expressions and predicates, how predicates can help identify referents, and how language can refer to both real and imaginary entities depending on the universe of discourse. Practice questions and answers are also included to help reinforce understanding of these semantic concepts.

Uploaded by

Sang Nguyễn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Semantics

UNIT 6:
PREDICATES, REFERRING EXPRESSIONS
AND UNIVERSE OF DISCOURSE
GROUP 4:
1. Lng Th Giang
2. L Th Dim Hng
3. Phm i Nhi
4. Nguyn Tn Sang
5. Phan Ngc Bo Trn

ENTRY TEST
(1) Say which of the following sentences are
equative (E), and which are not (N)
(a) My parrot is holidaying in the South of France.

(N)

(b) Dr Kunastrokins is an ass.

(N)

(c) Tristram Shandy is a funny book.

(N)

(d) Our next guest is Dr Kunastrokins.

(E)

(2) Circle the referring expressions in the


following sentences.

(a)I am looking for any parrot that can


sing.
(b)Basil saw a rat.
(c)These matches were made in
Sweden.
(d)A dentist is a person who looks after
peoples teeth.

Introduction
Distinction and relationship
between referring expressions and
predicates.

How the same words can be used


with different functions of
reference and predication
How these two functions fit
together in the overall language
system

Practice 1:
(1) Can the proper name
Mohammed Ali ever be used
as the predicator of a
sentence?
(2) In general, can proper
names ever be used as
predicators?
That
man is an Einstein
(That man is similar to Einstein)
predicate

Referring
expression

Yes / No
Yes / No

(3) Can the verb hit ever be used as a


referring expression?
(4) Can the preposition on ever be
used as a referring expression?
(5) In general, can any verb or
preposition be used to refer?

Yes / No
Yes / No
Yes / No

Examples:
(3) Marry hit Tom. => Hit cant be a referring exp.
(4) The cat is on the desk.=> on is not a referring exp.
Prepositions and Verbs are always predicates and can never
be used as referring expressions.

CONCLUSION
The distinction between referring expressions
and predicates is absolute:
There are some phrases, in particular indefinite
noun phrases, that can be used in two ways, either
as referring expressions, or as predicating
expressions.

Examples:
Tommy is a boy.
Tommy hit a boy yesterday.

This is me

This is you

The man
stole my
wallet!!!
In this situation, how would you
know the referent of the subject
referring expression?

A man

A woman

By finding in the room


an object to which the
predicate contained in
the subject referring
expression.

PRACTICE
3

In many situations it can, but not


always.

PRACTICE
3

She
stole my
wallet

She
female

YO
U

PRACTICE
3
She
stole my
wallet

2 women in the
room
No indication

She
female

YO
U
The referent of She
could not be uniquely
identified

PRACTICE
3
(1) Predicates do not refer.
(2) Predicates can be used by a
hearer when contained in the
meaning of a referring
expression, to indentify the
referent of that expression.

PRACTICE
4

THE

PRACTICE
4
(1) Speakers refer to things in the
course of utterances by means
of referring expressions.
(2) The words in a referring
expression give clues which
help the hearer to identify its
referent.
(3) Predicates may be
embedded in referring
expressions.

PRACTICE
5

(2) If in the situation described


Yes / No
above I had said, A man stole
my wallet, would you
automatically know the referent
of the subject expression a man?
(3) So does the definite article,
Yes / No
the, prompt the hearer to (try to)
identify the referent of a referring
expression?

16

(4) Does the indefinite article,


a, prompt the hearer to (try to)
identify the referent of a
referring expression?

Yes / No

The presence of a predicate (the -in the abovementioned example) in a referring expression
(man) helps the hearer to identify the referent of
a referring expression.
17

A GENERIC SENTENCE (or characterizing


sentence) is a sentence in which some statement is
made about a whole unrestricted class of
individuals, in comparison with any particular
individual.
In Vietnamese, Generic Sentence = Cu khi qut
Ex: - The whale is a mammal (understood in the
PRACTICE
most
usual way) is a generic sentence.
- That
6 whale over there is a mammal is not a
generic
sentence.generic sentences?
Are
the following
(1)
(2)
(3)
No
(4)
No
(5)

Gentlemen prefer blondes


Yes / No
Jasper is a twit
Yes / No
The male of the species guards the eggs Yes /
A wasp makes its nest in a hole in a tree Yes /
A wasp just stung me on the neck

Yes / No

*Note that generic sentences can be


introduced by either a or the (or
neither).
Catsareanimals.
Acatis ananimal.
Thecathas been an integral part
ofcivilization.

Parrot
Paper-clip
Baby

->
->
->

a bird
a thing
a person

Existent things

Referenc
An utterancee
A real thing in the
world
An utterance
Ex:
Unicorn

A non-existent thing

PRACTICE
7

(1) Do unicorns exist in the real world?


Yes /
No
(2) In which two of the following contexts are unicorns
most
frequently mentioned? Circle your answer.
(a) in fairy stories
(b) in news broadcasts
(c) in philosophical discussions about reference
(d) in scientific text books

(3) Is it possible to imagine worlds different in certain


ways
from the world we know actually to exist?
Yes / No
(4) In fairy tale and science fiction worlds is
everything
different from the world we know?
Yes / No
(5) In the majority of fairy tales and science fiction
stories that
you know, do the fictional characters discourse with
each other
according to the same principles that apply in real
life?
Yes / No

PRACTICE
8

(5) President Ho Chi Minh

Yes / No

(6) However

Yes / No

(7)

Yes / No

Hercules

REMEMBE
R Although

we can let our imagination stretch to


cases where the things in the world are different,
some expressions could never be a referring
expression, such as the conjunction and, as well as
however.

PRACTICE
9

As weve studied so far, we kept to examples of


reference to physical objects, such as John, my chair,
Cairo, and even God, unicorn.
To your opinion, what is the term for expressions like
Christmas Day 1980, one oclock in the morning, etc.?
Your answer: _______________.

1. Do you think the Vietnamese national anthem refers


to a particular song?
Yes / No
2. Do you think one oclock in the morning refers to a
particular time?
Yes / No
3. Do you think 93 million miles refers to a particular
distance?
REMEMBE
R Even though expressions
Yes / No like tomorrow, the
Vietnamese national anthem, one oclock in the
morning, etc. do not indicate physical objects, language
treats these expressions in a way exactly parallel to
referring expressions. Therefore, we can call them
referring expressions.
Language is used not only to talk about the real
world but also to talk about an infinite variety of
abstractions, and even entities in imaginary world.

UNIVERSE OF DISCOURSE

Definition: We define the


UNIVERSE OF DISCOURSE for
any utterance as the particular
world, real or imaginary (or
part real, part imaginary), that
the speaker assumes he is
talking about at the time.

Example:

An astronomy lecturer states


that: The Earth revolves around
the
-> Sun
the real world

Example:
I tell my children a bedtime story and say
The dragon set fire to the woods with his
hot->
breath

the

world

fictitious

Note:

Mother to child: Santa Claus


might bring you a toy
telephone

IMAGINARY
WORLD

Example:

Theist: Diseases must serve some


good purpose, or God would not
allow them.
Atheist: I cannot accept your
premisses.

REVISIO
N
Q1. A GENERIC SENTENCE is a sentence in which
some statement is made about _______.
A. an individual
B. animals
C. human beings
D. a whole class of individuals
Q2. Which of the following is generic sentence?
A. Americans like to eat apple pie.
B. Fred likes to buy Uzis.
C. A bird lays eggs.
D. My pet finch just laid an egg.
Q3. UNIVERSE OF DISCOURSE is defined as any
utterance as the particular world, _______.
A. real or imaginary
B. unreal world
C. real world
D. No answers are correct.

REVISIO
N
Q4. Which of the following is NOT referring
expression?
A. eleven hundred
B. Peter Pan
C. but for
D. All are correct.
Q5. Which of the following is a case of fictitious
world?
A. Mother to child: Maleficent is a powerful fairy.
B. Newspaper on January 31st 2015: VietnamPhilippines commission meets on strategic partnership
establishment.
C. Doctor to patients family: Your son contracted a
rare tropical disease.
D. Father to daughter: Dont touch the electric wires.
You can be shocked.

SUMMAR
Y

1. Speakers use referring expressions to


refer to:
Concrete or real entities
Abstract or fictitious entities
2.The predicates embedded in a referring
expression help the hearer to identify its
referent.
3. Semantics is not concerned with the
factual status of things in the world but
with meaning in language.
4. The notion of universe of discourse is

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