Reference Notes 1

2Paul Grice. Maxims

These maxims may be better understood as describing the assumptions listeners normally make about the way speakers will talk, rather than prescriptions for how one ought to talk.

They are not sociological generalizations about speech, nor they are moral prescriptions on what to say or communicate. They are better presumptions about utterances, presumptions that we as listeners rely on and as speakers exploit. Gricean Maxims generate implicatures.

Maxim of Quality: Truth

Do not say what you believe to be false.

Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.

Maxim of Quantity: Information

Make your contribution as informative as is required for the current purposes of the exchange.

Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.

Maxim of Relation: Relevance

Be relevant.

Maxim of Manner: Clarity

Avoid obscurity of expression. ("Eschew obfuscation")

Avoid ambiguity.

Be brief ("avoid unnecessary prolixity").

Be orderly.

Maxim of Quality

Be Truthful

Do not say what you believe to be false.

Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.

Example:

A: Should I buy my son this new sports car?

B: I don't know if that's such a good idea. He's totaled two cars since he got his license last year.

vs.

B: No, he seems like he'd be a bad driver.

Maxim of Quantity

Quantity of Information

Make your contribution as informative as is required (for the current purposes of the exchange).

Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.

Example:

A: Where is the post office?

B: Down the road, about 50 metres past the second left.

vs.

B: Not far.

Maxim of Relation

Relevance

Be relevant.

Example 1:

A: How are you doing in school?

B: Not too well, actually. I'm failing two of my classes.

vs.

B: What fine weather we're having lately!

Example 2:

A:(Waving at B, who is driving a taxi) Taxi!

B:(Waving at A, who is walking along the side of the road) Pedestrian!

Maxim of Manner

Be Clear

Avoid obscurity of expression.

Avoid ambiguity.

Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity).

Be orderly.

Example:

A: What did you think of that movie?

B: I liked the creative storyline. The ending was really a surprise!

vs.

B: It was interestingly done, sir.

Reference Notes 2

Politeness Maxims by Leech

According to Geoffrey Leech, there is a politeness principle with conversational maxims similar to those formulated by Paul Grice. He lists six maxims: tact, generosity, approbation, modesty, agreement, and sympathy. The first and second form a pair, as do the third and the fourth. These maxims vary from culture to culture: what may be considered polite in one culture may be strange or downright rude in another. They are:

1. The Tact maxim

2. The Generosity maxim

3. The Approbation maxim

4. The Modesty maxim

5. The Agreement maxim

6. The Sympathy maxim

The Tact maxim

The tact maxim states: 'Minimize the expression of beliefs which imply cost to other; maximize the expression of beliefs which imply benefit to other.' The first part of this maxim fits in with Brown and Levinson's negative politeness strategy of minimising the imposition, and the second part reflects the positive politeness strategy of attending to the hearer's interests, wants, and needs: Could I interrupt you for a second? If I could just clarify this then.