WHAT IS PRAGMATICS?

1. Crystal, 1987: “Pragmatics studies the factors that govern our choice of language in social interaction and the effects of our choice on others”.

-> This definition emphasizes the absolute roles that context and language users (speaker and hearer) play.

2. Leech, 1983. “Pragmatics can be usefully defined as the study of how utterances have meanings in situations”.

-> In a way, through this definition, Leech is clearing up the differences between semantics, syntax and pragmatics. Sentences are for syntax, while utterances for pragmatics; sentence meanings free from situations are for semantics, while utterance meanings bound with situations are for pragmatics.

3.Yule, 1996. “Pragmatics is the study of how more gets communicated than said”.

-> Pragmatics is often the case that language users are inclined to mean something more by his speech, and as to what is exactly meant by this over-said or communicated message, it is the job of pragmatics to figure out.

4.Richards, Platt & Weber, 1985 : “The study of the use of language in communication, particularly the relationships between sentences and the contexts and situations in which they are used”.

-> Pragmatics includes the study of:

·         how the interpretation and use of utterances depends on knowledge of the real world

·         how speakers use and understand speech acts

·         how the structure of sentences is influenced by the relationship between the speaker and the hearer.

·         Pragmatics is sometimes contrasted with semantics, which deals with meaning without reference to the users and communicative functions of sentences.' (Richards, Platt & Weber, 1985)

5.      Green, 1989: “The broadest interpretation of pragmatics is that it is the study of understanding intentional human actions . Thus, it involves the interpretation of acts assumed to be undertaken in order to accomplish some purpose. The central notions in pragmatics must then include belief, intention (or goal), plan, and act”.