_Pragmatics

Speech Acts and Events

Action as Answer

Standing by the side of a swimming pool, you say to a small boy "Can you swim?" expecting either "Yes" or "No" as an answer. However, he jumps into the pool instead.

Explain how he interpreted your words.

Does the same explanation hold for the reply "I'll bring you one in a minute" rather than "Yes, we don't need to buy any" to the question, "Is there any beer in the fridge?"