Topic 12 - Meaning between the lines (Session A) > Grice's Cooperative Principle > Task B

Grice's Cooperative Principle

Task B - Coming out of the theatre again

Here is the text again, and below it we have provided a link to our discussion of our understanding of it.

You need to decide (1) what maxim(s) have been broken, (2) whether the break constitutes a violation or a flout and what the general interpretative consequences are:

We have just gone to see the performance of a play together. As we are coming out of the theatre you ask me:

'What did you think of the play?'
and I reply:
'The costumes were very impressive'

You can look back at our answer to Task A on the 'Inference and the discourse architecture of drama' page.

Our answer

Home ¦ Outline ¦ Contents ¦ Glossary