3 Week, Use of Language logical and critical thinking

8/18/2019 3 Week, Use of Language logical and critical thinking

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USE OF LANGUAGE

Ms. Amna Rafque


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• Language can serve three basic functions;

– Informative

– Expressive

– Directive


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Informative function of language

• The first use of language is tocommunicate information. Ordinaril! thisis accomplished b formulating andaffirming "or dening# proposition.

• Language used to affirm or denpropositions! or to present arguments! issaid to be serving the informative function.


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• $ere the %ord &information& includesmisinformation! false as %ell as truepropositions! incorrect as %ell as correct

arguments.• Informative discourse is used to describe

the %orld! and to reason about it. 'hether

the alleged facts are important orunimportant! general or particular! doesnot matter.


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For example


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Expressive function of language

• (ses of language of this second tpe arenot intended to communicate informationbut to express emotions! feelings! or

attitudes.• )ust as the clearest examples of

informative discourse come from the

reports of courts or laboratories! the bestexamples of language serving anexpressive function come from lric poetr.


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For example;

• *atch me such marvel! save in eastern+lime,,,,,

• - rose red cit,,, &half as old as time&


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• Expressive language is not intened to toinform us of an facts or theoriesconcerning the %orld! but to manifest the

poets feelings of admiration and a%e.• 'ith these lines! %e are told somethingabout the scene before him! true! but theircheif purpose %as not to report information.

• The lines express the emotions felt b the%riter and aim to evo/e similar feelings inthe reader.


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• Expression ma be anal0ed into t%o

components; %hen it is used to manifest

the spea/ers feeling! e.g someone pras

in solitude! the language used functions to

express the feelings of the spea/er or

%riter! but it is not intended to evo/esimilar feelings in anone else.


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• On the other hand! %hen orator see/s to

move others and %hen the cro%d cheers

its athletic team! the language used not

onl expresses the feeling of the spea/er

but is intended to evo/e similar feelings in

the hearers.


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Directive function of language

• Language serves the third! directive function %hen it is intended to cause orprevent overt action.

• The clearest examples are commandsand re1uests.

• 'hen a parent teaches a child to %ash upfor dinner! the intention is not to

communicate the information or toexpress or evo/e an particular emotion.

• The language is intened to get results.


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• Directive discourse in neither true nor false.

• - command such as &close the %indo%&cannot be either true or false. 'e madisagree about about %hether a command

has been obeed or disobeed! but %enever disagree about %hether a commandis true or false.


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DISCOURSE SERVING MULTIPLEFUNCTIONS

• The examples of informative! expressiveand directive discourse offered in thepreceding sections %ere chemicall pure

specimens! so to spea/. 2ut almost anordinar communication %ill probablexhibit all three uses of language.

• Thus a poem! %hich ma be primarilexpressive discourse! also ma have amoral and thus also direct the reader.


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• 'hen languge serves mixed or multiple

functions the %riter or poet is not confused

but effective communication demands

certain combinations on functions.


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For example;


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THE FORMS OF DISCOURSE

• - setence is defined as the unit oflanguage that expresses a completethought.

• 3etences are commonl divided into fourcategories; – declarative

– interrogative – imperative and

– exclamator


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DECLARATIVE SENTENCES

• Declarative sentences ma/e up most of

%hat ou read. The are setting the scene!

giving the bac/ground! telling %hat is

going on in plain! simple facts. If thesentence doesn4t involve as/ing a

1uestion! telling someone to do something

or someone4s excited! emotionalstatements then it is a declarative

statement.


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INTERROGATIVESENTENCES

• The interrogative sentence is one that

ends in a 1uestion mar/ and is al%as

as/ing a 1uestion.

• 5or example! an interrogative sentence is!6$o% are ou78


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Imperative Sentences

• The imperative sentence is one that gives

a command to someone or something. If

someone %al/s into our office and ou

tell them! 69lease! sit do%n.8 That is an

imperative sentence.


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EXCLAMATOR SENTENCES

• This sentence al%as ends in an

exclamation point and it is said %hen a

%hole lot of excitement is going on. If ou

%al/ into the /itchen and find our childsetting the curtains on fire then ou are

probabl going to use a fe% exclamator

sentences.


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• 5orm often gives an indication of

function,, but there is no sure connection

bet%een the grammatical form and the

use or uses intended. Language serving

an one of three principal functions ma

ta/e an one of the four grammaticalforms.


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EMOTIVE !ORDS

• - single sentence can serve aninformative and an expressive functionsimultaneousl. To do this! its %ords must

have literal and descriptive meaning!referring to ob:ects or events! and to theirattributes or relations.

• 'hen the sentence expresses an attitudeor feeling! it ma also have emotionalsuggestions or impact.


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• The literal and emotive meaning of a %ord

are independent of each other.

• 5or example the terms &bureaucrat&

&government official& and &public servanthave almost identical literal meaning but

their emotive meanings are ver different.


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• &2ureaucrat& tends to express resentment

and disapproval %hile public servant

expresses respect and approval.

• &overnment official& is more nearlneutral than either of the others.


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• It is clear that the %ords %e use to refer to

things have a mar/ed effect upon our

attitudes to%ard those things.


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"INDS OF AGREEMENT ANDDISAGREEMENT

• To the extent that anthing or some

activit can be described b using

alternative phrases,, one conveing

approval! another disapproval! still another

neutralit,, different /inds of agreement

and of disagreement ma becommunicated about anthing.


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• Disagreement in belief

• T%o people ma disagree about %hether something hasin fact ta/en place! and %hen the do! the ma be saidto have &disagreement in belief" (disagreement about

the facts of the matter, different literal significance).• Disagreement in attitude

• On the other hand! the ma agree that an event hasactuall occured! thus agreeing in belief! and et the

ma have different or even opposite attitudes to%ardsan event! this is /no%n as disagreement in attitude"there is an emotional difference bet%een thedisputants.#.


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•

• 3ince the degrees of agreement in beliefand attitude are independent of each

other! there are four possible

combinations at %or/ here<


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• Agreement in belief and agreement inattitude

• There arent an problems in this instance! since

both parties hold the same positions and havethe same feelings about them.

• Agreement in belief but disagreementin attitude

• This case! if unnoticed! ma become the causeof endless "but pointless# shouting bet%eenpeople %hose feelings differ sharpl about somefact upon %hich the are in total agreement.


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• Disagreement in belief but agreementin attitude

• In this situation! parties ma never recogni0e!

much less resolve! their fundamental differenceof opinion! since their attitude is same.

• Disagreement in belief anddisagreement in attitude

• $ere the parties have so little in common thatcommunication bet%een them often brea/sdo%n entirel.


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+onsider the follo%ing four situations

concerning &The Distance to the 3un.&


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3 Week, Use of Language logical and critical thinking

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