General Instruction: This question booklet contains two major parts. Part One requires
you provide short answers or write a paragraph as per each instruction. Under Part Two,
you need to write an assay following the instruction. Answer ALL the questions. Read all
the questions carefully before answering. Number the answers clearly.
PART ONE: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND QUESTIONS
CAREFULLY...........................................................................................................
(50%]
1. Identify whether the deictic expressions in the following utterances are used
gesturally, symbolically, or non-deictically. Explain your reasons for having arrived at
the answer you did. This will help us describe the different usages of deixis.[20 Marks]
1. You, you, but not you are dismissed.
2. I met this weird lady the other day.
3. Let's go tomorrow rather than next week!.
4. This city is awesome.
5. Move it from here to over there.
6. This shoe polish always comes off first.
7. Hallo, is Loide there?
8. What did she say?
9. Loide is a student. She comes from the Katima!.
10. Prof Sabao is a distinguished Professor of Linguistics studies.
2. Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting conceptual meaning and connotative
meaning. Briefly describe each type of meaning and provide examples to develop
your comparative paragraph and line of argument . ................................. (30 Marks]
PART TWO: WRITING AN DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY
3. Conversation Analysis ..................................................................................... (50 Marks]
The Politeness Theory is a theory that appeared within the framework of Pragmatics research
in Linguistics. According to this theory, the interlocutors use particular strategies to achieve
successful communication. These strategies enable to create maximally comfortable
environment for communication. According to Brown and Levinson (1987) politeness can be
defined as "showing awareness and consideration of another person's face " (pp. 311-312).
Linguistic politeness can be defined as the ways in which language is employed in interactions
to show consideration for the feelings and desires of one's interlocutors to create and uphold
interpersonal relationships and to comply with the rules for what society or one's culture
considers appropriate behaviour. On the other hand, the major purpose of Politeness
Principle (PP) according to Leech is to establish and maintain feelings of comity within social
2