Semantics and syntax Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Semantics and syntax - Assignment Example The main difference between sentence meaning and utterance meaning is due to explicit content and implicit content. Proposition expressed is the part of explicit content. Through example proposition expressed will be illustrated. In this example the reply of student is implicitly stating that task is not completed. The student is not stating explicitly that work is not done but from the reply it is clear what student wants to convey. The statement of the teacher is explicit but reply of the student is implicit. Speech act is a term in linguistics. The modern use of the term goes back to John L. Austins doctrine of locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts. Speech acts normally include promising, ordering, greeting, warning, inviting and congratulating. In the above example the speaker is requesting and therefore a speech act. In the above example the relationship between the sentences is of presupposition. In linguistics, a presupposition is an implicit supposition about the world or background belief relating to an utterance whose truth is taken for granted in conversation. In the example the affirmative form of (a) presupposes (b). This presupposition is still true in case (a) becomes negative, interrogative or supposition. For example negative form â€Å"She was not appalled that prime minister was wearing flip flops†, still presupposes (b) as true. The same case prevails in case of interrogative and supposition. In the above example the relationship between the two sentences is of implicature. In linguistics Implicature is a term in linguistics, coined by H. P. Grice, which refers to what is â€Å"suggested† in an utterance, even though neither â€Å"expressed† nor â€Å"strictly implied† by the utterance. In the example, the second statement is stating what may not be true but from 2(a) it is implicit that speaker does not know where Henry is. The statement 2(a) is implicitly