Introduction to Pragmatics
2nd Edition
Published on 18. September 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-1-394-19675-3 (ISBN)
Description
A new edition of an essential pragmatics textbook, updated for a new generation of students
Introduction to Pragmatics equips students with a comprehensive understanding of how context shapes language, covering both foundational concepts and cutting-edge issues with an interdisciplinary approach. Assuming no previous background in the subject, this student-friendly textbook describes how meaning is created and interpreted.
This fully revised new edition addresses contemporary questions surrounding language in society, with increased focus on technological trends and real-world applications of pragmatics. Updated chapters explore politeness theory, presupposition, the boundary between semantics and pragmatics, the pragmatics of linguistic diversity and speech communities, the philosophical background of pragmatics, and the role of language in law, advertising, and politics. Two entirely new chapters on social pragmatics and artificial intelligence (AI) are accompanied by expanded material on noncanonical syntax, information structure, and lexical pragmatics.
Offering an ideal balance between theoretical foundations and practical applications, Introduction to Pragmatics, Second Edition:
Provides clear and accessible explanations of complex concepts such as presupposition, implicature, inference, and optimality theory
Engages with AI and machine communication, exploring the implications for human-language interaction
Offers fresh examples, comprehension exercises, and discussion questions to engage students in real-world language analysis
Features new case studies that focus on contemporary issues such as politics and propaganda
Introduction to Pragmatics, Second Edition, is the ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in pragmatics and semantics as well as related courses in linguistics and language education.
Introduction to Pragmatics equips students with a comprehensive understanding of how context shapes language, covering both foundational concepts and cutting-edge issues with an interdisciplinary approach. Assuming no previous background in the subject, this student-friendly textbook describes how meaning is created and interpreted.
This fully revised new edition addresses contemporary questions surrounding language in society, with increased focus on technological trends and real-world applications of pragmatics. Updated chapters explore politeness theory, presupposition, the boundary between semantics and pragmatics, the pragmatics of linguistic diversity and speech communities, the philosophical background of pragmatics, and the role of language in law, advertising, and politics. Two entirely new chapters on social pragmatics and artificial intelligence (AI) are accompanied by expanded material on noncanonical syntax, information structure, and lexical pragmatics.
Offering an ideal balance between theoretical foundations and practical applications, Introduction to Pragmatics, Second Edition:
Provides clear and accessible explanations of complex concepts such as presupposition, implicature, inference, and optimality theory
Engages with AI and machine communication, exploring the implications for human-language interaction
Offers fresh examples, comprehension exercises, and discussion questions to engage students in real-world language analysis
Features new case studies that focus on contemporary issues such as politics and propaganda
Introduction to Pragmatics, Second Edition, is the ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in pragmatics and semantics as well as related courses in linguistics and language education.
More details
Series
Edition
2nd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 253 mm
Width: 178 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
670 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-394-19675-3 (9781394196753)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Betty J. Birner
Introduction to Pragmatics
E-Book
08/2025
2nd Edition
Wiley
€45.99
Available for download
Betty J. Birner
Introduction to Pragmatics
E-Book
08/2025
2nd Edition
Wiley
€45.99
Available for download
Previous edition
Betty J. Birner
Introduction to Pragmatics
Book
08/2012
Wiley
€97.91
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
BETTY J. BIRNER is Professor Emeritus at Northern Illinois University, where she taught Linguistics and Cognitive Science for 24 years. She has published widely on the subjects of pragmatics, semantics, and information structure, particularly on noncanonical syntactic constructions. Her recent publications include Meaning: Semantics, Pragmatics, Cognition and Pragmatics: A Slim Guide.
Content
Preface viii
Acknowledgments xi
1 Defining Pragmatics 1
1.1 Pragmatics and Natural Language 2
1.2 The Philosophical Background 8
1.3 The Boundary Between Semantics and Pragmatics 13
1.4 Summary 36
1.5 Exercises 38
1.6 Discussion Questions 39
2 Gricean Implicature 41
2.1 The Cooperative Principle 42
2.2 Types of Implicature 62
2.3 Testing for Implicature 67
2.4 The Gricean Model of Meaning 72
2.5 Summary 73
2.6 Exercises 73
2.7 Discussion Questions 74
3 Later Approaches to Implicature 76
3.1 Neo- Gricean Theory 76
3.2 Relevance Theory 84
3.3 Comparing Neo- Gricean Theory and Relevance Theory 91
3.4 Lexical Pragmatics 100
3.5 Summary 110
3.6 Exercises 110
3.7 Discussion Questions 111
4 Reference 113
4.1 Referring Expressions 113
4.2 Deixis 117
4.3 Definiteness and Indefiniteness 123
4.4 Anaphora 131
4.5 Referential and Attributive Uses of Definite Descriptions 139
4.6 Summary 142
4.7 Exercises 143
4.8 Discussion Questions 144
5 Presupposition 146
5.1 Presupposition, Negation, and Entailment 146
5.2 Presupposition Triggers 153
5.3 The Projection Problem 156
5.4 Defeasibility 158
5.5 Presupposition as Common Ground 163
5.6 Accommodation 167
5.7 Summary 172
5.8 Exercises 173
5.9 Discussion Questions 173
6 Speech Acts 175
6.1 Performative Utterances 175
6.2 Felicity Conditions 183
6.3 Locutionary Acts 187
6.4 Direct and Indirect Speech Acts 192
6.5 Joint Acts 202
6.6 Summary 203
6.7 Exercises 204
6.8 Discussion Questions 205
7 Information Structure 207
7.1 Topic and Focus 210
7.2 Open Propositions 216
7.3 Discourse- Status and Hearer- Status 218
7.4 Information Structure and Constituent Order 220
7.5 Information Structure and Constructions 229
7.6 Functional Compositionality 232
7.7 Summary 237
7.8 Exercises 237
7.9 Discussion Questions 239
8 Inferential Relations 242
8.1 Inferential Relations at the Constituent Level 243
8.2 Inferential Relations at the Propositional Level 259
8.3 Summary 266
8.4 Exercises 267
8.5 Discussion Questions 268
9 Social Pragmatics 269
9.1 Face and Politeness 269
9.2 Honorifics 275
9.3 Speech Communities 278
9.4 Communication and Miscommunication 288
9.5 Pragmatics and Persuasion 289
9.6 Exercises 294
9.7 Discussion Questions 295
10 Pragmatics and AI 297
10.1 The Human Mind 298
10.2 Minds and Machines 305
10.3 The Semantics/Pragmatics Boundary Revisited 312
10.4 Exercises 314
10.5 Discussion Questions 315
Sources for Examples 316
References 321
Index 331
Acknowledgments xi
1 Defining Pragmatics 1
1.1 Pragmatics and Natural Language 2
1.2 The Philosophical Background 8
1.3 The Boundary Between Semantics and Pragmatics 13
1.4 Summary 36
1.5 Exercises 38
1.6 Discussion Questions 39
2 Gricean Implicature 41
2.1 The Cooperative Principle 42
2.2 Types of Implicature 62
2.3 Testing for Implicature 67
2.4 The Gricean Model of Meaning 72
2.5 Summary 73
2.6 Exercises 73
2.7 Discussion Questions 74
3 Later Approaches to Implicature 76
3.1 Neo- Gricean Theory 76
3.2 Relevance Theory 84
3.3 Comparing Neo- Gricean Theory and Relevance Theory 91
3.4 Lexical Pragmatics 100
3.5 Summary 110
3.6 Exercises 110
3.7 Discussion Questions 111
4 Reference 113
4.1 Referring Expressions 113
4.2 Deixis 117
4.3 Definiteness and Indefiniteness 123
4.4 Anaphora 131
4.5 Referential and Attributive Uses of Definite Descriptions 139
4.6 Summary 142
4.7 Exercises 143
4.8 Discussion Questions 144
5 Presupposition 146
5.1 Presupposition, Negation, and Entailment 146
5.2 Presupposition Triggers 153
5.3 The Projection Problem 156
5.4 Defeasibility 158
5.5 Presupposition as Common Ground 163
5.6 Accommodation 167
5.7 Summary 172
5.8 Exercises 173
5.9 Discussion Questions 173
6 Speech Acts 175
6.1 Performative Utterances 175
6.2 Felicity Conditions 183
6.3 Locutionary Acts 187
6.4 Direct and Indirect Speech Acts 192
6.5 Joint Acts 202
6.6 Summary 203
6.7 Exercises 204
6.8 Discussion Questions 205
7 Information Structure 207
7.1 Topic and Focus 210
7.2 Open Propositions 216
7.3 Discourse- Status and Hearer- Status 218
7.4 Information Structure and Constituent Order 220
7.5 Information Structure and Constructions 229
7.6 Functional Compositionality 232
7.7 Summary 237
7.8 Exercises 237
7.9 Discussion Questions 239
8 Inferential Relations 242
8.1 Inferential Relations at the Constituent Level 243
8.2 Inferential Relations at the Propositional Level 259
8.3 Summary 266
8.4 Exercises 267
8.5 Discussion Questions 268
9 Social Pragmatics 269
9.1 Face and Politeness 269
9.2 Honorifics 275
9.3 Speech Communities 278
9.4 Communication and Miscommunication 288
9.5 Pragmatics and Persuasion 289
9.6 Exercises 294
9.7 Discussion Questions 295
10 Pragmatics and AI 297
10.1 The Human Mind 298
10.2 Minds and Machines 305
10.3 The Semantics/Pragmatics Boundary Revisited 312
10.4 Exercises 314
10.5 Discussion Questions 315
Sources for Examples 316
References 321
Index 331