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Pragmatics - Reference and Inference

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Jesii Farfán
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Pragmatics - Reference and Inference

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Jesii Farfán
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
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Reference and Inference

CRESPO ANDREA
JUAREZ CARLA
THE ACT IN WHICH A SPEAKER OR WRITER USES
Referenc LINGUISTIC FORMS TO ENABLE THE LISTENER OR
READER TO IDENTIFY SOMETHING.
e LINGUISTIC FORMS ARE CALLED “ REFERRING
EXPRESSIONS”

The choice of one or the


● PROPER NOUNS ( SHAKESPEARE, HAWAI)
other will depend on
what the speaker or ● DEFINITE NP ( THE AUTHOR, THE ISLAND)
writer assumes the
● INDEFINITE NP( A WOMAN, A BEAUTIFUL
listener knows.
Ex: shared visual context PLACE)

GOAL>>>>> TO IDENTIFY SOMETHING


( in reference) it is important to take into account the
role of INFERENCE.
Because as there is no direct relationship between
entities and words, the listener’s task is to infer which
entity the speaker intends to identify ( is refering to)
by using a particular “ referring expression”

Eg: the blue thing / inventing names: ….

REFERENCE

is COLLABORATIVE: BOTH THE SPEAKER AND THE THE


LISTENER HAVE A ROLE IN THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE
OTHER HAS IN MIND.
Referential and attributive uses

Not all referring expressions have identifiable


physical referents.
A) A PHYSICAL PRESENT ENTITY
EX: THERE IS A MAN WAITING FOR
INDEFINITE YOU
NP
B)ENTITIES THAT ARE ASSUMED TO EXIST
CAN BE USED
BUT ARE UNKNOWN
TO IDENTIFY
EX: MARRY A WOMAN WITH WITH LOST OF
MONEY

C) ENTITIES THAT DON’T EXIST


EX: WE´D LOVE TO FIND A
NINE-FOOT-TALL BASKETBALL
PLAYER
Attributive use m means whoever/whatever a definite
noun phrase fits the description.
eg: The murderer of Smith is insane, is used attributively if the
speaker does not intend to refer to a particular person which he
knows to be the murderer of Smith ( that would be the
referential use), but to the (possibly unknown) person who
murdered Smith, whoever that person maybe.

Referential use when the speaker uses a definite


noun phrase to identify an individual. eg: In the definite noun
phrase in The murderer of Smith is insane is used referentially
when the speaker intends to refer to a particular person which
he knows to be the murderer of Smith.
Names and referents

-Reference intention to identify- recognition


of intention collaboration.

-Work between one speaker and one listener.


-Convention between all members of a community
who share a common language/ culture and where
referring expressions will be used to identify certain
entities on a regular basis.

-Pragmatic connection between proper names and


objects that will be conventionally associated within a
socio culturally defined communities with those names.
eg: a person can be identified via the expression the
[cheese sandwich], and a thing can be identified via the
name [Shakespeare] in the context where a student ask
the question : Can I borrow your Shakespeare? (It refers
probably to a book) and in a restaurant, one waiter
brings out an order of food for another waiter and asks
him and the other hears in reply: (a) Where's the
cheese sandwich sitting?
The role of co-text
The co-text the linguistic material which
accompanies the referring expression.
eg: Argentina is in group C of the World Cup Qatar. Argentina is the
referring expression and is in group C of the World Cup Qatar is part
of the co-text.
The referring expression actually provides a range
of reference, a number of possible referents.
Different co-texts lead to different interpretations.
eg: (a) Some bottles are made of glass. (It refers to bottles)
(b) Some bottles drunk excessively. (It refers to people)
Difference between co-text and
context.
-Co-text a linguistic part of the
environment in which a referring expression is
used.
-Context the physical environment, perhaps
more easily recognized as having powerful
impact on how referring expressions are to be
interpreted.
eg: (a) The man was crushed by the car. (The context is the street or
route)
(b) She was buying some bottles and something to eat. (The context
is the supermarket)
Types of references: Anaphoric
and Cataphoric
-Anaphoric reference the already
introduced or mentioned referent.
In English, initial reference, or introductory
mention, is often indefinite (a shop, a
woman). -Definite noun phrases (the alarm,
the ball) and pronouns (he, it, they) are
subsequent references.
The second or subsequent expression is the
anaphor and the initial expression is the
eg: Lili grows zucchinis and bell peppers in her
garden and shares the vegetables with her
parents. (The vegetables refers to the zucchinis
and bell peppers)

-Cataphoric reference the referring


expression mentioned later in the writing or
conversation.

eg: Despite she sits at the front of his classroom, the Professor Smith
still doesn't know Lili´s name. ( The pronoun SHE refers to Lili. The
pronoun HIS refers to the Professor Smith)
Zero anaphora or ellipsis

It occurs when a linguistic expression is not


present in order to identify an entity. eg:
Bake (?) for 20 minutes. This use as means
of maintaining reference clearly creates an
expectation that the listener will be able to
infer who or what the speaker intends to
identify.

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