REFERENCE AND INFERENCE

REFERENCE AND INFERENCE

1. Reference

   • Act in which a speaker, or writer, uses linguistic forms to enable a listener, or reader, to identify something.
     • Referring expressions
       • Proper nouns
         • For example
           • Indonesia, George Yule.
       • Pronouns
         • For example
           • it, he, she.
       • Noun phrase
         • Noun phrase
           • Definite: the country.
             • Indefinite: a place.

2. Referential and attributive uses

   • According to Yule
     • Not all referring expressions have identifiable physical referents.
       • Attribute uses
         • Whoever/whatever fits the description.
           • "a‟ can be replaced by "any‟
             • "the‟ is assumed to exist, but cannot be ensure yet.
       • Referential uses
         • In definite noun phrase "the‟ shows that a referent does exist.
           • In definite noun phrase "the‟ shows that a referent does exist.
             • In indefinite noun phrase a a specific person is referred to.

3. Names and Referents

   • pragmatic connection
     • proper names and objects conventionally.
       • associated with
         • Those names within a socio-culturally defined community.

4. The Role of Co-text

   • The ability to identify intended the listener‟s understanding of the referring expression.
     • co-text
       • Linguistic part of the the environment in which a referring expression is used.
         • context: physical environment and (speech) conventions.

5. Anaphoric Reference

   • Anaphoric reference (anaphora)
     • Refers to
       • Already introduced referents. need not be exactly identical to antecedent.
   • Zero anaphora /ellipsis
     • When the interpretation require us to identify an entity
       • but
         • No linguistic expression is present.
   • Cataphora
     • Reversal of an antecedent-anaphor pattern.
       • Cataphora is less common than anaphora.