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practice?
The last sentence, although phrased as a question, actually serves to emphasize the writer's outrage and to
make clear his intention to get his reader to cooperate with him in doing something about the «iniquitous
practice.»
Exercise:
For each of the following sentences provide a set of different contexts with different pragmatic meanings.
EXAMPLE: So of course you believed him.
a. Everyone knew he was the world's biggest liar. So of course you believed him. You obviously enjoy
being made a fool of!
b. After all, he never lied before. So of course you believed him. I would have done the same under
those circumstances.
1.I never saw anything like it.
4. I could do with some fresh air.
2.I wonder how he managed.
5. Don't let me rush you.
3. Nothing ever came of it. 6. Don't worry about me.
UNIT 2. WHAT THE WRITER MEANS
I. WHAT THE WRITER MEANS
(AND WHAT HE ASSUMES THE READER ALREADY KNOWS)
Writers often assume some degree of prior knowledge of their subject on the part of their readers. Not
having to spell out every single detail (i.e., assuming that the reader already knows certain details) makes it
possible for the writer to get his message across more quickly and effectively.
Consider the following:
Text A:
The policeman held up his hand and stopped the car.
We understand what the writer of this sentence means because we know more than what the words mean.
* What does the writer assume that we already know about traffic signals and how cars stop and go (before
we even begin to read his sentence)?
Text B:
Mary heard the ice-cream man coming down the street. She remembered her birthday money and rushed into
the house.
* How do you suppose Mary was able to hear the ice-cream man coming? (What detail didn't the writer
bother giving us because he assumed we already knew?)
* What connection does the writer assume we will easily make between what Mary hears and what she
does? (Is there anything in the sentences that helps us make the connection? To what extent do we have to
depend upon what we already know about the situation from our own experience?)
II. IMPLICATION (WHAT THE WRITER ASSUMES HIS READER WILL INFER)
Writers often reveal what they have to tell us indirectly. The information is implied, rather than directly
(explicitly) stated, so that we have to do some «work» before we can understand the message. The «work» that
we have to do is called «inferring»: we «infer» the meaning that the writer «implies», or reveals indirectly
(implicitly). Another way of saying this is: We make inferences (by inferring) about the writer's implications
(whatever he implies).
Text C: