key term - Entailment

Definition

Entailment is a logical relationship between statements where one statement necessarily follows from another. In the context of given and new information, entailment helps in understanding how new data relates to what is already known, facilitating clearer communication and comprehension.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Entailment occurs when the truth of one statement guarantees the truth of another, highlighting the connection between existing knowledge and new information.
2. In discourse, entailment helps listeners or readers to make inferences based on what has already been established, allowing for smoother transitions between ideas.
3. Identifying entailments can improve clarity in writing and speaking by ensuring that new information logically connects to previously stated facts.
4. Recognizing entailments can also aid in resolving ambiguities, as it clarifies which statements support or contradict each other.
5. In linguistics, entailment is essential for understanding how meaning is constructed in communication, influencing both comprehension and interpretation.

Review Questions

• How does entailment facilitate the understanding of relationships between given and new information in communication?
  • Entailment plays a critical role in communication by allowing individuals to recognize how new information is logically connected to what has been previously stated. When a new piece of information entails an earlier statement, it enables listeners or readers to draw conclusions and make inferences smoothly. This logical connection reduces confusion and enhances overall comprehension, as people can build on existing knowledge without starting from scratch.
• Discuss the implications of recognizing entailment for effective writing and speaking.
  • Recognizing entailment is crucial for effective writing and speaking because it ensures that arguments and narratives are coherent and logically structured. By understanding which statements entail others, speakers and writers can construct their messages in a way that naturally leads the audience through their reasoning. This not only helps maintain clarity but also strengthens the persuasive power of their communication by aligning new ideas with established concepts.
• Evaluate how misunderstanding entailment can lead to miscommunication or ambiguity in discourse.
  • Misunderstanding entailment can significantly contribute to miscommunication or ambiguity within discourse. When individuals fail to recognize how statements relate logically, they may draw incorrect conclusions or misunderstand the intended message. For example, if a speaker presents a new idea without clearly linking it to prior knowledge, the audience might not grasp the relevance or significance of the new information. This breakdown in logical connections can lead to confusion, frustration, and ineffective communication.

Related terms

Inference:

The process of deriving logical conclusions from premises known or assumed to be true.

Presupposition:

An implicit assumption about the world or background belief relating to an utterance that must be accepted for the utterance to make sense.

Coherence:

The quality of being logical and consistent, which aids in the clarity and understanding of discourse.