Editing Pragmatics (section)

=== Referential expressions in conversation ===
[[Reference|Referring]] to things and people is a common feature of conversation, and conversants do so [[Collaboration|collaboratively]]. Individuals engaging in [[discourse]] utilize pragmatics.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal | last1=Almor | first1=Amit | last2=Nair | first2=Veena A. | date=2007 | title=The Form of Referential Expressions in Discourse | journal=Language and Linguistics Compass | volume=1 | issue=1–2 | pages=84–99 | issn=1749-818X | doi=10.1111/j.1749-818X.2007.00009.x | url=https://www.mccauslandcenter.sc.edu/aLab/sites/sc.edu.alab/files/attachments/almor-nair-2007.pdf | archive-date=2021-01-02 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102094644/https://www.mccauslandcenter.sc.edu/aLab/sites/sc.edu.alab/files/attachments/almor-nair-2007.pdf | url-status=dead}}</ref> In addition, individuals within the scope of discourse cannot help but avoid intuitive use of certain utterances or word choices in an effort to create communicative success.<ref name=":2" /> The study of referential language is heavily focused upon [[definite description]]s and referent accessibility. Theories have been presented for why direct referent descriptions occur in discourse.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal | last1=Vonk | first1=Wietske | last2=Hustinx | first2=Lettica G. M. M. | last3=Simons | first3=Wim H. G. | date=1992 | title=The use of referential expressions in structuring discourse | journal=Language and Cognitive Processes | volume=7 | issue=3 | pages=301–333 | issn=0169-0965 | doi=10.1080/01690969208409389 | hdl=11858/00-001M-0000-000E-E736-D | hdl-access=free | url=https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_1695298_1/component/file_1695297/content}}</ref> (In layman's terms: why reiteration of certain names, places, or individuals involved or as a topic of the conversation at hand are repeated more than one would think necessary.) Four factors are widely accepted for the use of referent language including (i) competition with a possible referent, (ii) [[salience (language)|salience]] of the referent in the context of discussion (iii) an effort for unity of the parties involved, and finally, (iv) a blatant presence of distance from the last referent.<ref name=":2" />

Referential expressions are a form of [[Anaphora (linguistics)|anaphora.]]<ref name=":3" /> They are also a means of connecting past and present thoughts together to create context for information at hand. Analyzing the context of a sentence and determining whether or not the use of referent expression is necessary is highly reliant upon the author/speaker's digression- and is correlated strongly with the use of pragmatic competency.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" />