PRESUPPOSITION

DEFINITION
Presupposition is what a speaker or writer assumes that the receiver of the message already knows. [ Richards et al, 1987: 228] Presuppositions are inferences about what is assumed to be true in the utterance rather than directly asserted to be true. [Peccei, 1999:19]

TYPES OF PRESUPPOSITIONS

PRESUPPOSITION TRIGGERS
Presuppositions seem to be tied to particular words or aspects of surface structure in general. We shall call such presuppositiongenerating linguistic items presupposition triggers.

EXISTENTIAL PRESUPPOSTION
DEFINITE DESCRIPTIONS Ex: Marys dog is cute. They havent spoken to each other since their last weeks quarrel. Could you come to our party this weekend? This is my youngest sister. John didnt see / saw the man with two heads.

EXISTENTIAL PRESUPPOSTION
The king of Sweden has just left for France. The American girl next door is having a party. They searched everywhere for the missing child.

FACTIVE PRESUPPOSITION
Nobody realized that Kelly was ill. I was aware / was not aware that she was married. It is odd / isnt odd that he left early. I am glad that its over. We regretted telling him the truth.

NON-FACTIVE PRESUPPOSITION
I imagined that Kelly was ill. I dreamed that I was rich. We imagined that we were in Hawaii. He pretends to be ill. She pretended that she had understood what he meant.

LEXICAL PRESUPPOSITION
Youre late again. The Brazilian team beat the French again. Im not going to let him come under my roof anymore. Im going to change my job. Jim wants more popcorn. She managed to pay her debt. Can you stop making that noise? He stopped smoking. They started complaining.

STRUCTURAL PRESUPPOSITION
Where did you buy the bike? When did you get your bachelor degree? How did you know the defendant had bought a knife? Who is going to give me a lift to the airport? I was eating popcorn when Mike smashed the television set. How fast was the car going when it ran the red light?

COUNTER-FACTUAL PRESUPPOSITION
If I had enough money, I would buy that house. If I had had enough money, I would have bought that house. I wished I had studied more. You shouldnt have seen such a film. You could have talked to the dean.

CHARACTERISTICS
1. The presupposition of an utterance remains the same under its negation: Ex: John stopped / didnt stop smoking >> John once smoked . 2. The presupposition of an utterance remains the same under its interrogation: Ex: John stopped smoking. Did John stop smoking? Why did John stop smoking? >> John once smoked cigarette. 3. The presupposition of an utterance may be cancelled under its extension: Ex: She didnt feel regret at the over-cooked meat. >> The meat was over-cooked. She didnt feel regret at the over-cooked meat because it was in fact well done.>> the meat was well-done.

NOTES: PRAGMATIC EXPLANATION

Examine these examples: Im sorry Im late. Im afraid my car broke down. Im sorry Im late; my fire-engine broke down. She cried before she finished her thesis. She died before she finished her thesis.

Definition: An utterance A pragmatically presupposes a proposition B if and only if A is appropriate only if B is mutually known by participants.

Which of the following utterances share the same presupposition?

1. Did Mike smash the television set? 2. When did Mike smash the television set? 3. I was eating popcorn when Mike smashed the television set. 4. Why did Mike smash the television set?

1. I dont understand why Mike smashed the television set. 2. I wonder if Mike smashed the television. 3. I wonder how Mike smashed the television set.

Identify the presupposition(s) in the following utterances

1. 2. 3. 4. The exam is not so difficult We havent heard anything from Barbara They were rich. The explosion is so loud that it could be heard from miles away I am going to have a final exam in semantics He pretended to be pleased with the gift He neednt have driven so fast Bill drank another glass of beer Please take me to the circus again Its going to rain for a long time Were going to have a new grammar book

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

12. On the occasion of my friends birthday, I intend to buy her a new vase. 13. She was not aware that it would hurt her so much. 14. Fred continued speaking. 15. If only you had taken the offer.