ABSTRACT
There are two especially difficult problems for pragmatics and sociolinguistics. One is the connection between purely linguistic form (phonology, syntax, morphology) and discourse function. Eventually we must, however reluctantly, consider to what degree and in what ways real-world situations and communicative needs of speakers govern syntactic form; and the sense in which syntax, semantics, and pragmatics are truly, bidirectionally, interdependent. The second is the definition of "pragmatic" or "communicative" competence: What does the normally competent speaker know?
