O Presupposition: something that the speaker

assumes to be the case before making an

utterance

O Speaker has presupposition

O Entailment: something that logically follows from

what is asserted in the utterance

O Sentences have entailments

O E.g

Mary’s brother bought three horses

O Presupposition:

- A person called Mary exists and

she has a brother

- she has only a brother and her

brother has a lot of money

Mary’s brother bought three horses

O held by

the

speaker

O all of them

can be

wrong.O entailment is the relationship between two sentences

where the truth of one (A) requires the truth of the other (B).

O (A) The president was assassinated.

entails (B) The president is dead

O Presupposition: relationship between two

propositions

O a sentence that contains a proposition (p) and

another proposition (q):

O Example 1.

a. Mary‟s dog is cute. (=p)

b. Mary has a dog. (=q)

c. p >> qO Example 2.

d. Mary‟s dog isn‟t cute. (= NOT p)

e. Mary has a dog. (=q)

f. NOT p >> q

O Example 3.

g. Everybody knows that Jeni is a singer (=p)

h. Everybody doesn‟t know that Jeni „s a singer (=

NOT p)

i. Jeni is a singer (q)

j. p >> q and NOT p >> q

O Constancy under negation: presupposition of a

statement will remain constant (i.e. still true) even

when that statement is negated.

O potential presupposition: linguistics forms which can

become actual presuppositions in context with

speakers

O Linguistics forms: speakers‟ assumptions in words,

phrases, and structuresO Types of potential presuppositions:

O assumption of the existence of the entities named by

the speaker.

O Example: Tom‟s car is new

presupposition: Tom exists and that he has a

car

O assumption that something is true due to the

presence of some verbs such as know, realize,

regret, be, aware, odd, glad

O Example:

She didn‟t realize he was ill (>> He was ill)

We regret telling them (>> We told them)

It isn‟t odd that he left early (>> He left early)

O assumption that, in using one word, the speaker can

act as if another meaning (word) will be understood.

O Example:

Andrew stopped smoking. (>>He used to smoke)

You are late again. (>> You were late before)

O the use of the expressions "stop" and "again" are

taken to presuppose unstated concept

O assumption associated with the use of certain words and

phrases: the wh-form (e.g. when and where)

O Example:

When did she leave? ( >> she left)

Where did you buy the book? (>> you bought the

book)

O assumption that something is not true.

O Example:

I dreamed that I was rich. (>> I am not rich)

We imagined that we were in London. (>> We are

not in London)

He pretends to be ill. (>> He isn‟t ill)

O assumption that what is presupposed is not only

untrue, but is the opposite of what is true, or contrary

to facts.

O Example:

If you were my daughter, I would not allow you to

do this. ( >> you are not my daughter)

O projection problem: occurs when a simple sentence

becomes part of a more complex sentence

O the meaning of some presupposition (as a part)

doesn‟t survive to become the meaning of a more

complex sentence (as a whole).

O Example:

A: “It‟s so sad. George regrets getting Mary fired.“

B : “But he didn‟t get her fired. We know that now.”

a. George regrets getting Mary fired (=p)

b. George got Mary fired (=q)

p >> q

O The speaker utters a, presupposes b

g. George regrets getting Mary fired,

but he didn‟t get her fired (=p & r)

p & r >> NOT q

O The speaker, after combining r&p, the presupposition

q is not true

d. He didn‟t get her fired (=r)

e. George didn‟t get Mary fired (= NOT q)

r >> NOT q

O The speaker utters d, presupposes e, the opposite of

b

O This shows that entailments (necessary

consequences of what is said) are simply more

powerful than presuppositions (earlier assumptions).

O the power of entailment can also be used to cancel

existential presuppositions.

O Example:

The King of Brazil visited us.

(The king of Brazil does not exist).

O entailment is not a pragmatic concept (i.e. having to

do with the speaker meaning)

O but it is considered a purely logical concept, symbolized by ǁ ̵

O Example: Rover chased three squirrels (= p)

a. Something chased three squirrels (= q)

b. Rover did something to three squirrels (= r)

c. Rover ate three of something (= s)

d. Something happened (= t)

O p ǁ ̵ q logical consequence

Back

ground

Entail-

ment

O Foreground entailment: speaker indicate how

entailments are to be ordered typically by stress for

interpreting intended meaning

O Example:

a. Rover chased THREE squirrels.

b. ROVER chased three squirrels.

O cleft construction: speaker can communicate what

he/she believes the listener may already be thinking

O Example:

It wasn‟t me who took your money

to attribute the foreground entailment to the

listener(s) without actually stating it (as a possible

accusation).

Foreground entailment

ExerciseThe following sentences make certain presuppositions.

What are they? (The first one has been done for you!) Identify

the types of presupposition

1. The police ordered the minors to stop drinking.

Type: Lexical presupposition

Presupposition: The minors were drinking.

2. Please take me out to the ball game again.

3. Valerie regretted not receiving a new T-bird for Labor Day.

4. That her pet turtle ran away made Emily very sad.

5. The administration forgot that the professors support the

students.

6. It is strange that the United States invaded Cambodia in

1970.

7. Isn't it strange that the United States invaded Cambodia in

1970?

8. Disa wants more popcorn.

9. Why don't pigs have wings?

10.Who discovered America in 1492?