An Introduction to Discourse Analysis Cheng Xiaotang Beijing Normal University

1. An Introduction to Discourse AnalysisCheng XiaotangBeijing Normal University

2. Lecture 3: Presupposition Why bother with presupposition? Communication always involves some sort of presupposition. Presupposition is a necessary precondition for the processing of any communication. Presupposition prevails in discourse.

3. What is presupposition? The assumption that the speaker makes about what the hearer is likely to accept without challenge; (B and Y, p. 29) What is taken by the speaker to be the common ground of the participants in the conversation; (B and Y, p. 29) Ideology or message that is presupposed in discourse.

4. Examples Speaker A: What about inviting Simon tonight? Speaker B: What a good idea; then he can give Monica a lift. Presuppositions in the above discourse: Both speakers know who Simon and Monica are Simon has a vehicle, e.g., a car Monica has no car or unable to drive (Richards, Platt and Platt, 1992)

5. John regrets that he stopped doing linguistics before he left Cambridge .>> There is someone uniquely identifiable to speaker and addressee as John. John stopped doing linguistics before he left Cambridge. John was doing linguistics before he left Cambridge. John left Cambridge. John had been at Cambridge. (Levinson, S. C., 1983, Pragmatics. 179�180: Cambridge University Press.)

6. What is presupposed in the following discourses? We should try all we can do to solve the traffic jam problem. Tom, have you finished the homework? I Didn�t Murder Squealer!

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8. Presupposition vs. implied meaning Conversation A: A: You are going to Simon�s party tonight, right? B: Yes. A: So I guess you can give me a lift. Conversation B: A: You are going to Simon�s party tonight, right? B: Yes. A: You�re driving there, right?

9. What is presupposed and what is implied in the following discourse? �I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy.�' �We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes,� said her mother resentfully, �since we are not to visit.� �But you forget, mama,� said Elizabeth, �that we shall meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him.�

10. �I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her.� [from Pride and Prejudice]

11. Deliberate and methodical use of presupposition In most cases presuppositions are used subconsciously and has little or no effect or consequence. However, in order to be effective, presupposition must be used deliberately and methodically, with a specific outcome in mind.

12. E.g., Beating your wife helps to vent your grievances, is that right? What presuppositions are there? - The hearer has a wife; - The hearer has some grievances; - Beating one�s wife is a way of venting grievances. - The hearer has been beating his wife;

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14. Devices of presupposition 1. Referring Expressions. Referring expressions occur more frequently than other types of presupposition, in fact in every sentence there is, by virtue of the fact that every sentence must have a subject. Let's take the sentence "God loves you" "The King of France is bald"

15. [Counsellor to defendant] Beating your wife helps to vent your grievances, is that right? >> The person questioned has been beating his wife.

16. Why does God tolerate man's wickedness? What are presupposed? A) God B) Man C) Man's Wickedness

17. "Does God's toleration of man's wickedness justify our belief in him?" What are presupposed? God/Man/Wickedness; Man's wickedness; Toleration; God's toleration; God's toleration of man's wickedness; Our belief in God

18. 2. Aspectual Verbs Aspectual verbs are verbs such as "Stop", "Start", "Give Up", "Continue", "Renounce", "Finish", and other similar verbs which involve the starting or stopping of an action. E.g.: Have you stopped beating your wife yet? Keep Britain Tidy.

19. 3. Certain Lexical Items. more "Too" - "Even" - "Just" - "Until" -

20. - Would you like some more tea? - No, I can�t, because I haven�t had any. Tom even likes French food. Even Tom likes French food. Tom likes even French food.

21. 4. Nominalization is impaired by alcohol ? alcohol impairment they allocate an extra packer ? the allocation of an extra packer Some shorter, some longer ? of varying length they were able to reach the computer ? their access to the computer technology is getting better ? advances in technology

22. Dissatisfaction with the government�s new policies will cause a loss of popularity. >> People are dissatisfied with the new policies.

23. The president�s dishonesty was frowned on by the majority of Americans. >> The president has been dishonest.

24. Defeasibility of presupposition Negation of a proposition does not negate the presupposition in it. The king of France is bald. The king of France is not bald.

25. It is your fault that I am lazy.It is not your fault that I am lazy. Beating your wife helps to vent your grievances, is that right? [Yes, it is right./ No. It isn�t right.]

26. HOMEWORK Find a piece of discourse (500 words) and identify the presuppositions in it. Explain what is presupposed and why it is presupposed in each case.