EXPLORING THE INTERFACE BETWEEN SYNTAX AND PRAGMATICS IN ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

Abstract

This paper explores the nexus between syntax and pragmatics in argument structure, 
namely how the form of a sentence performs pragmatic functions. It shows how 
syntactic alternatives reveal or affect the manner in which speakers cope with 
conversational implicatures and presuppositions. Through an analysis of different 
syntactic constructions, including topic? comment structures, Focus and cleft 
sentences, this study illustrates how such grammatical devices serve to allow speakers 
to express non-deductive contextual meanings which are richer than the directly 
denotative meaning of the clause. The study uses a discourse analytical method, 
bringing together theoretical and empirical sources to clarify how syntactic choices 
influence the interpretive principles of conversational implicatures and 
presuppositions in communication. This study demonstrates the role of syntax in the 
coding process of pragmatic meanings, thus influencing how information is produced 
and comprehended with discourse. This investigation thus contributes to a fuller 
understanding of the connection between syntax and pragmatics, and sheds light on 
the ways in which these components work in concert in conveying conversational 
meaning.