CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Pragmatics is concerned with the study of meaning as communicated by a speaker (or writer) and interpreted by a listener (or reader). It has consequently, more to do with the analysis of what people mean by their utterances than what the words or phrases in those utterances might mean by themselves. Pragmatics is the study of speaker meaning (Yule, 1996:3).
This type of study necessarily involves the interpretation of what people mean in a particular context and how the context influences what is said. It requires a consideration of how speakers organize what they want to say in accordance with who they’re talking to, where, when, and under what circumstances. Pragmatics is the study of contextual meaning (Yule, 1996:3).
of quantity), tell the truth (maxim of quality), be relevant (maxim of relation) and try to be as clear as they can (maxim of manner) (Yule, 1996:35).
Yule (1996:38) explains there are certain kinds of expressions speakers use to mark that they may be in danger of not fully adhering to the principles. These kinds of expressions are called hedges. The importances of the maxim of quality for cooperative interaction in English may be best measured by the number of expression we use to indicate that what we’re saying may not be totally accurate. The initial phrases below:
1. As far as I know, they’re married.
2. I may be mistaken, but I thought I saw a wedding ring on her finger. 3. I’m not sure if this is right, but I heard it was a secret ceremony in
Hawaii.
4. He couldn’t live without her, I guess.
The conversational context for the examples 1-4 might be a recent rumor involving a couple known to the speaker. Cautious notes, or hedges, of this type can also be used to show that the speaker is conscious of the quantity maxim, as initial phrases in example below, produced in the course of a speaker’s account of her recent vacation:
5. As you probably know, I am terrified of bugs.
6. So, to cut a long story short, we grabbed our stuff and ran. 7. I won’t bore you with all the details, but it was an exciting trip.
F-102 fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. President Bush received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1975. Following graduation, he moved back to Midland and began a career in the energy business. After working on his father’s successful 1988 Presidential campaign, President Bush assembled the group of partners who purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989. On November 8, 1994, President Bush was elected Governor of Texas. He became the first Governor in Texas history to be elected to consecutive 4-year terms when he was re-elected on November 3, 1998.
Since becoming President of the United States in 2001, President Bush has worked with the Congress to create an ownership society and build a future of security, prosperity, and opportunity for all Americans. He signed into law tax relief that helps workers keep more of their hard-earned money, as well as the most comprehensive education reforms in a generation, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This legislation is ushering in a new era of accountability, flexibility, local control, and more choices for parents, affirming our Nation’s fundamental belief in the promise of every child. President Bush has also worked to improve healthcare and modernize Medicare, providing the first-ever prescription drug benefit for seniors; increase homeownership, especially among minorities; conserve our environment; and increase military strength, pay, and benefits. Because President Bush believes the strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of our citizens, he has supported programs that encourage individuals to help their neighbors in need.
simultaneously. A leader cannot avoid that thing. That is the risk of being a leader. All he can do is preparing, collecting, verifying, and the reconsidering his speech. When his people meet their confidence about his speeches, then his people may move and deliver it. Long consideration and good-persuasive words will place a leader to the most comfort place in his people’s heart. If he is not able to convince his people that problems running can be solved a support for him will be decreased and even his people could do a rebellion. The rebellion is the embodiment of their disappointment toward his work. Hence, in this condition a leader, as also a politician, chooses a safe way in their speeches by using hedges.
Hedge becomes the last option since this technique does not provide the direct answer of something. When a leader is being asked for his responsibility toward a trouble, they are not necessary to answer “yes” or “no” of being suspected against the trouble. They use hedges since hedges place them between “yes” or “no”. There is no direct answer. Only a man with a special thought could interpret someone who uses hedges. By hedging the words a leader seems to give a direct answer toward a trouble but actually they do not. Hedge is often called as “a politician language”. This technique is commonly known among the politicians since they always seek a way that places them on a comfort place in the eyes of people.
8. If the Iraqi regime is able to produce, buy, or steal an amount of highly enriched uranium a little larger than a single softball, it could have a nuclear weapon in less than a year.
1.2 Problem of the Study
Based on the background above, the problems of the study of this thesis are formed as follow:
1. What types of hedges are found in George W. Bush’s speeches?
2. What is the function of each hedge found in George W. Bush’s speeches? 3. Which type of hedges is the most dominant in George W. Bush’s speeches?
1.3 Objective of the Study
As stated at the problems of the study above, below are the objectives of the study to answer the problems of the analysis namely:
1. To find out the types of hedging constructions found in George W. Bush’s speeches.
2. To find out the function of each hedges.
3. To determine the most dominant type of hedging construction found in George W. Bush’s speeches.
1.4. Scope of the Study
problem would be limited only from hedges that found in the utterances performed in three speeches above. So the types and the function of hedge would be valid only for that speeches.
There are three main problems would be answered from this thesis. First, to determine the types of hedging construction in George W. Bush’s speeches. The types of hedges from the speeches could be in form of words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. The second, the function of hedge. And the last, the most dominant type of the hedging construction in George W. Bush’s speeches would be determined on this thesis. Through this scope of analysis it will be more easily for the readers to figure out the problems and the ideas systemically.
1.5 Significances of the Study
In this our daily life, the significances of doing something could be viewed in many different ways. All of consideration about the significances are merely depends on someone’s perspectives. Moreover, one thing that always happens is in doing something there is always a significance that would influence to others as in this analysis. This analysis hopefully could give some worth significances such as:
1. This analysis could enrich the knowledge of the reader of hedges and gives another point of view in hedges analysis.
2. This analysis could give some information about hedges found in George W. Bush’s speeches.
