Language Proficiency Pragmatics and Language Use 5 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best illustrates the concept of deixis?
- Using 'this book here' to indicate a nearby object (Correct answer)
- Choosing formal vocabulary in a business letter
- Repeating an idea to emphasize it
- Pausing before answering a difficult question
Correct answer: Using 'this book here' to indicate a nearby object
Deixis involves expressions whose interpretation depends on contextual factors like location, time, or participant, as with 'this,' 'here,' and 'now.'
Question 2: A speaker flouts Grice's maxim of Quality by saying 'Oh sure, he's a real genius' about someone who just made a mistake. This is an example of:
- Hyperbole
- Irony (Correct answer)
- Understatement
- Euphemism
Correct answer: Irony
Deliberately saying the opposite of what one means, expecting the listener to detect the irony, is a classic flouting of the maxim of Quality.
Question 3: Conversation analysts use the term 'adjacency pair' to describe:
- Two words with similar meanings used together
- A sequence of two turns where the first creates an expectation for the second (Correct answer)
- Back-channel responses like 'mm-hmm' and 'right'
- Simultaneous speech by two participants
Correct answer: A sequence of two turns where the first creates an expectation for the second
Adjacency pairs are paired conversational turns (e.g., questionâanswer, greetingâgreeting) where the first part sets up an expected response.
Question 4: Which scenario best demonstrates the pragmatic concept of 'common ground'?
- Two strangers arguing about directions
- Colleagues sharing background knowledge that allows them to use shorthand references (Correct answer)
- A speaker repeating vocabulary from earlier in a conversation
- A writer defining technical terms for a general audience
Correct answer: Colleagues sharing background knowledge that allows them to use shorthand references
Common ground refers to the mutual knowledge, beliefs, and assumptions shared by conversational participants that facilitate efficient communication.
Question 5: When an English speaker says 'It's cold in here' to a roommate sitting near an open window, and the roommate closes the window, the roommate has interpreted the utterance as:
- A meteorological observation only
- An indirect request to close the window (Correct answer)
- A complaint with no expected action
- A question about temperature perception
Correct answer: An indirect request to close the window
The roommate correctly inferred the indirect speech actâa request disguised as a statement about environmental conditions.
Question 6: In cross-cultural pragmatics, a Japanese speaker remaining silent after a proposal is made might pragmatically signal:
- Full agreement without words
- Indifference to the topic
- Discomfort or a polite way of declining (Correct answer)
- A request for repetition
Correct answer: Discomfort or a polite way of declining
In many Japanese communicative norms, extended silence can signal reluctance or a face-saving indirect refusal rather than agreement.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of a 'hedge' in pragmatics?
- 'You must leave immediately.'
- 'Sort of, kind of, to some extent, I agree.' (Correct answer)
- 'As I already said, this is wrong.'
- 'Without a doubt, this is the best solution.'
Correct answer: 'Sort of, kind of, to some extent, I agree.'
Hedges are linguistic devices that reduce the force or certainty of an utterance, softening commitment to a proposition.
Language Proficiency Pragmatics and Language Use 5
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of deixis?