Examples: A Pragmatic Approach

Lec Ramia Fu’Ad Abdulazeez Mirza

doi:10.36473/ujhss.v59i3.1145

Abstract

This study deals with a seemingly obvious topic to everyone – examples. Yet, on a closer perusal, the topic turns out to be interestingly perplexed. This can be justified by the amalgam of cognition and communication out of which such concept is delivered. This mixture gives a hand in texturizing examples. This work aims at pragmatically investigating the concept of ‘example’ as far as its definition, structure, types and functions are concerned. Furthermore, it aims at developing an eclectic model that will be utilized to pragmatically analyze the data of the work represented by four interviews with Donald Trump in 2018. Consequently, it hypothesizes the following: complex schema is more frequently used in the data; abductive inference is never employed in the data; faulty analogy is never made in the data; the interpersonal variant of the global type of examples is more frequently found in the data; explicit examples are more commonly given; and, finally, the argumentative function of examples prevails. Afterwards, the percentage equation is employed to statistically calculate the results of the analysis.  The study has come up with many conclusions, out of which is that examples, once chosen meticulously, support the cogency of argumentation by means of strengthening and boosting one’s standpoints towards the alleged goals.

Highlights

Though simple and obvious at first glance, the concept of example is perplexed
It hypothesizes the following: complex schema is more frequently used in the data; abductive inference is never employed in the data; faulty analogy is never made in the data; the interpersonal variant of the global type of examples is more frequently found in the data; explicit examples are more commonly given; and, the argumentative function of examples prevails
One exception being theinterpersonal schema‘ whose employment is 0%, which can be attributed to the nature of data themselves

Summary

Introduction

Though simple and obvious at first glance, the concept of example is perplexed. This is mainly because anexample‘ appeals to two levels: cognition and communication. What might be understood at the cognitive level can be out of context at the communicative peer. What this aims to is to uncover this concept in a pragmatic way, citing its definition, constructing its structure, classifying it into various types, and tracing its functions. In accordance with all of these, the model of analysis will be built, and the data will be analyzed.

Objectives

Results

Conclusion