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English Semantics And Pragmatics Question Paper

English Semantics And Pragmatics

Course:Bachelor Of Education English

Institution: Kenyatta University question papers

Exam Year:2010

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS 2009/2010
SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR
OF ARTS AND BACHELOR OF EDUCATION
AEN 402:
ENGLISH SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS

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DATE: FRIDAY 9TH APRIL 2010

TIME: 2.00 P.M. ? 4.00 P.M.

INSTRUCTIONS
Answer QUESTION ONE and ANY TWO other questions.

1.
Read each of the following sample propositions and then for each pair:
a)
Form a complex proposition using the logical connectives indicated in brackets. (8 marks)
b)
Construct a truth table indicating the truth values of the propositional variables of the result art complex proposition. (8 marks)
i)
Last year's draught was the worst in history.
ii)
We expect very poor harvests this season (logical conjunction)
ii)
Jane has been cheating on her husband
iii)
Jane can not be a good Christian (logical implication)
iv)
The opposition will not win the elections
v)
The elections will be rigged. (logical equivalence)
vi)
It is raining
vii)
It is snowing (logical disjunction)
c)
Using your knowledge of the natural world and excluding any other "possible worlds", determine which of the following two statements is logically true.
i)
All that glitters is not Gold
ii)
Not all that glitters is Gold
Support your answer with logical arguments in prose form. Do not use truth tables. (4 marks)
d)
Do you think semantics and pragmatics should be treated as separable sub- disciplines of linguistics? Use illustrative examples to justify your answer. (10 marks)
2.
What are conversational maxims and how do they contribute to the creation and interpretation of pragmatic meaning? (20 marks)
3.
Truth conditional semantics asserts that 'to know the meaning of a sentence is to know how the world would have to be for the sentence to be true" (Lakoff 1972: 572). Discuss this assertion clearly outlining its inherent limitations. (20 marks)
4.
Explain the indispensability of context in the study of meaning. (20 marks)
5.
Give the componential definition of the word 'man' and using this word as an example, explain the weaknesses of componential analysis. (20 marks)

English Semantics And Pragmatics Question Paper

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