Лекции по теоретической грамматике английского языка. Тивьяева И.В. - 121 стр.

UptoLike

Составители:

Рубрика:

121

2. Pragmatic transposition of sentences

Sometimes a sentence characterized by formal features of some pragmatic

type in speech acquires illocutionary power of sentences of another type. Such

cases are referred to as indirect speech acts. Indirect speech acts are commonly

used to reject proposals and to make requests. For example a speaker asks, “Would

you like to meet me for coffee?” and another replies, “I have class.” The second

speaker used an indirect speech act to reject the proposal. This is indirect because

the literal meaning of “I have class” does not entail any sort of rejection. Typical

cases include:

o constative >> requestive: e.g. It is rather cool here. (Please close the

window.)

o quesitive >> requestive: e.g. Do you have any cash on you? (Please lend

me some.)

o constative >> offertive: e.g. There is some chocolate on the tea table.

(Have some.)

A sentence used transpositionally still retains its original meaning. The two

meanings co-exist, the indirect one being layered upon the original one.

It is obvious that there are some restrictions as to types of sentences that can

be transposed. A sentence of any pragmatic type cannot be transposed into any

other pragmatic type.

Apparently, pragmatic transposition of sentences is socially motivated. The

choice of an indirect pragmatic type is explained by extralinguistic conditions of

the communicative situation.