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C. Pragmatics.Pragmatics is the study of how language is used in context. It is concerned with the meaning of utterances, which is not always the same as the literal meaning of the words used. Pragmatics also includes the study of how people use language to achieve their goals, such as to persuade, inform, or entertain.
Syntactics is the study of the rules that govern the structure of sentences. Semantics is the study of the meaning of words and sentences.
Here are some examples of how pragmatics can affect the meaning of an utterance:
- “I’m hungry.” This sentence can be a literal statement of hunger, or it can be a request for food.
- “It’s raining cats and dogs.” This sentence is not meant to be taken literally, but is a way of saying that it is raining very heavily.
- “I’m fine.” This sentence can be a literal statement of being fine, or it can be a way of saying that you are not fine but do not want to talk about it.
Pragmatics is a complex and fascinating field of study. It is essential for understanding how language is used in everyday life.