Grice's cooperative principle
A principle suggesting that conversational participants assume each other is being cooperative and following shared rules of communication. Speakers are assumed to be truthful, relevant, clear, and orderly.
Real World
When a friend replies 'Nice shoes' in a sarcastic tone after you spill coffee, they flout the maxim of quality — the implicature (implied meaning) is the opposite of the literal words.
Exam Focus
Always state which maxim is flouted or violated, then explain the implicature — what the listener is meant to infer beyond the literal meaning.
How well did you know this?