Gricean Self-Test
1. What Gricean maxim is involved if someone is accused of committing
perjury? Quality
2. What are the main two Gricean maxims involved if someone is said to
have 'verbal diarrhoea? Quantity & Manner
3. What Gricean maxim is mainly involved if someone is accused of not
keeping to the subject? Relation
4. What Gricean maxim is mainly involved if someone is accused of saying
something vaguely or imprecisely? Manner
5. If you flout a Gricean maxim, which adverb below best describes the
way in which you break it? Flagrantly
6. If you violate a Gricean maxim, which adverb below best describes
the way in which you break it? Covertly
7. When, in Devotions, 17, John Donne said 'No man is an island', what
Gricean maxim was he flouting? Quantity
8. When, in The Acts of the Apostles, 21, 5, St Paul, in referring to
Tarsus, said that he was 'a citizen of no mean city', what Gricean maxim
was he flouting? Manner
9. Look at the following dialogue.
What maxim does B flout and what implicatuire follows from it.
A: How is it going with your new child?
B: Well, babies are babies.
The maxim flouted is: Quantity
The implicature that flows from it is: Things are not
going well.
10. Look at the following dialogue.
What is the main maxim that B flouts and what implicature follows from
it.
A: How did you get on with your seminar preparation this week?
B: Well, I couldn't get any books out of the library.
The maxim flouted is: Relation
The implicature that flows from it is: I haven't
done the work.
Finally, we provide an extra question, involving a small
extract from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet where you can compare
your answer with ours:
11. In Romeo and Juliet, in the argument between Romeo's friend,
Mercutio and Tybalt, a member of the Capulet family, Tybalt has just run
Mercutio through with his sword. Romeo runs to Mercutio's aid, saying
'Courage man; the hurt cannot be much.' Mercutio's reply is:
'No, 'tis not so deep as a well, or so wide as a church
door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow and you shall
find me a grave man.'
What maxims does he flout and what does he implicate?
After you have worked out your answers, compare your account with ours:
Our
Answer
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