Abstract: Nowadays, advertising has become an inescapable part of our life. Ads can be found everywhere —on radio and television, in newspapers and magazines, on city streets and buses, and even on computer screens and mobile phones. This study aims to help both the advertisers and the customers to have a better understanding of the advertisements from the aspect of pragmatic presupposition. By means of theoretical and examples analysis this thesis analyzes the definition and classifications of pragmatic presupposition and the application in advertising language. From some specific examples which are used in this thesis, we can easily see that pragmatic presupposition has played a very important role in advertising both for advertisers and consumers. 

Key words: advertising; pragmatic presupposition; application

CONTENTS

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction1

2. Literature Review.2

2.1 Pragmatic Presupposition

2.2 Advertising 

3. Pragmatic presupposition in advertising language.5

  3.1 Existential Presupposition  

  3.2 Factive Presupposition

  3.3 State Presupposition 

  3.4 Belief Presupposition 

4. Analysis and discussion of pragmatic presupposition in advertising.8

4.1 Concealment Function

4.2 Self-protection function

4.3 Persuasion function

5. Implications of Pragmatic Presupposition in Advertising.9

6. Conclusion10

Bibliography.11

Acknowledgements12