When
we read or hear pieces of language, we normally try to understand not only what
the words mean, but also what the writer or speaker of those words intended to
convey and the study of this ‘intended speaker meaning’ is called pragmatics which is sometimes contrasted with semantics
dealing with meaning without reference to the users and communicative functions
of sentences.
Longman Dictionary of Applied linguistics defines pragmate
as
‘‘the study of the use
of language and the contexts and situations in which they are used’’.
In pragmatics the following factors are included-
(a)
how the interpretation and the use of
UTTERANCES depends on knowledge of the real world
(b)
how speakers use and understand SPEECH
ACTS
(c)
how the structure of sentences is
influenced by the ralationship between the speaker and the hearer.
The following quote will help us to know that A is trying to
rent an appartment from B, and thus it wil help us to know something about
pragmatics-
A : I
have a fourteen years old son
B :
Well thats all right
A : I
also have a dog
B : Oh
I’m sorry.
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