Research On The Meaning Of Exaggerated Grade Differences From The Perspective Of Speech Act Theory

This thesis selects hyperbole with speech act characteristics from literary works of Laoshe according to the property of scalar implicature, including commissive hyperbole; expressive hyperbole and threatening hyperbole,and analyzes them on the basis of speech act and ad hoc pragmatic scale. The author adopts qualitative method to explore the following questions: how the scalar implicature be produced; and how the implicature be derived. Two points are found through the whole analysis: scalar implicature is derived from pragmatic scales and the relations between reference point and target point( higher and lower); scalar expressions are used to strengthen expressing forces in order that hearers behave as speakers expect.