Abstract: This study aims to investigate the functions of the hedges in English advertising. George Lakoff defined hedges as words whose job is to make things fuzzier or less fuzzy. Advertisers usually use hedges to stimulate consumer’s imagination, attracting their attention, and raise their interest. French scholar Sperber and British scholars Wilson proposed Relevance Theory. The theory sees the intra-lingual communication as one single ostensive—inferential process. Every act of ostensive communication communicates a presumption of its own optimal relevance. In this paper, I will use Relevance Theory to analyze advertising language. We will know how advertisers promote products when consumers acquire optimal relevance through the hedges in advertising language. From the perspective of Relevance Theory, hedges have both positive and negative functions. The paper concludes that, in English advertisements, hedges can contribute to accuracy, minimize negative effects as well as enhance reliability and appropriateness. At the same time, they may also result to communicative failures and reckless consumption.

Key words: hedges; Relevance Theory; English advertisement

CONTENTS 

摘要

Abstract

1. Introduction1

2. Literature Review...1

2.1 Definition and Features of Advertisement Language

2.2 Definitions and Classification of Hedges

2.3 Functions of Hedges

3. Relevance Theory...3

3.1 Ostensive-inferential

3.2 Relevance and Optimal Relevance

4. A Study on the Functions of Hedges in English Advertisement from the Perspective of Relevance Theory..5

4.1 Positive Functions

4.1.1 Improving Accuracy

4.1.2Minimizing Negative Effects

4.1.3Enhancing Reliability

4.2 Negative Functions

4.2.1 Causing Communicative Failures

4.2.2 Causing Reckless Consumption

5. Conclusion..9

Bibliography.11

Acknowledgements..12