Pragmatics: The Basics is an accessible and engaging introduction to
the study of verbal and nonverbal communication in context.
Including nine chapters on the history of pragmatics, current theories,
the application of pragmatics, and possible future developments in the
field, this book:
- Offers a comprehensive overview of key ideas in contemporary
pragmatics and how these have developed from and beyond the pioneering
work of the philosopher Paul Grice;
- Draws on real-world examples such as political campaign posters and
song lyrics to demonstrate how we convey and understand direct and
indirect meanings;
- Explains the effects of verbal, nonverbal, and multimodal
communication and how the same words or behaviour can mean different
things in different contexts, including what makes utterances more or
less polite;
- Highlights key terms and concepts throughout and provides chapter-end
study questions, further reading suggestions, and a glossary.
Written by an experienced researcher and teacher, this book will be an
essential introduction to this topic for all beginning students of
English Language and Linguistics.