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Presupposition and Entailments

This document discusses different types of presuppositions and entailments that can occur in language. It describes 6 types of presuppositions: existential, factive, lexical, structural, non-factive, and counterfactual. It also provides examples for each type. Additionally, it defines entailments as propositions that necessarily follow from other propositions. The document outlines 2 types of entailments: background entailments and stress pattern entailments. It concludes by giving examples that illustrate different stress patterns in sentences and their entailments.

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Riani Oesman
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199 views13 pages

Presupposition and Entailments

This document discusses different types of presuppositions and entailments that can occur in language. It describes 6 types of presuppositions: existential, factive, lexical, structural, non-factive, and counterfactual. It also provides examples for each type. Additionally, it defines entailments as propositions that necessarily follow from other propositions. The document outlines 2 types of entailments: background entailments and stress pattern entailments. It concludes by giving examples that illustrate different stress patterns in sentences and their entailments.

Uploaded by

Riani Oesman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Presupposition and Entailments

By
Hajjah Zulianti, S.Pd., M.A.
Type of Presupposition
1. Existential presupposition
it is the assumption of the existence of the
entities named by the speaker.
Example:
Daniel’s car is new >> Daniel exists and that
he has a car
• Shakespeare wrote a lot of plays >>
Shakespeare exists
• A: How is your brother? [>> B has a brother]
B: But I don’t have a brother!
A: Sorry, I made a mistake.
• I didn’t get the post [>>there is a post]
2. Factive presupposition
it is the assumption that something is true due
to the presence of some verbs such as know,
realize, regret, and phrases involving be with
aware, odd, glad.
Example:
She didn’t realize someone was ill >>
Someone was ill
3. Lexical presupposition
It is the assumption that, in using one word,
the speaker can act as if another meaning
(word) will be understood.
i.e.
• He managed to loan a large sum of money
from the bank >> he tried to do something.
• I still do not understand >> I did not
understand it before.
• He started to do exercise in the mornings >>
he did not do exercise on regular basis before.
4. Structural presupposition
It is the assumption associated with the use of
certain words and phrases.
i.e.
• When did she travel to the USA? ( >> she
traveled)
• Where did you buy the book? (>> you bought the
book)

The listener perceives that the information


presented is necessarily true rather than just the
presupposition of the person asking the question.
5. Non-factive presupposition
It is an assumption that something is not true.
For example, verbs like "dream", "imagine"
and "pretend" are used with the
presupposition that what follows is not true.
e.g.
We imagined that we were in London. (>> We
are not in London)
6. Counterfactual presupposition
what is presupposed is not true and is the
opposite of what is true, or contrary to facts.
• If Cleopatra's nose had been longer, the
history of the world would have been
different. >> Cleopatra's nose has not been
longer.
• If I were you, I wouldn’t act in such a showy
way. >> I am not you.
Analyze!
• John's wife works for Al-Tahrir Company.
a. A person named John exists.
b. Both the speaker and the hearer know John.
c. John is an adult male.
d. John is married.
e. John's wife is alive.
f. There is a company named Al-Tahrir.
g. Al-Tahrir company has employees.
Entailments
Lyons (1977: 85) points out that entailment is "a
relation that holds between P and Q where P
and Q are variables standing for propositions
such that if the truth of Q necessarily follows
from the truth of P (and the falsity of Q
necessarily follows from the falsity of P), then P
entails Q"
Type of Entailments
1. Background entailments
Annie ruined the sweater
The speaker is necessarily committed to the
truth of a very large number of background
entailments, only some of them are presented
as follows:
a. Someone ruined the sweater
b. Annie did something to the sweater
c. Annie ruined something
d. Something happened
2. In every sentence, there are stress pattern,
which is called foreground. The following
sentences contain three different stress
patterns for Annie ruined the sweater.
5 (a) Annie RUINED the sweater II- Annie did
something to the sweater.
5 (b) Annie ruined the SWEATER II- Annie
ruined something.
5 (c) ANNIE ruined the sweater II- someone
ruined the sweater.

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