Pragmatics: u08a3 Application Question

(Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Rashid are both parents of students in the district where Mrs. Thomas also teaches.)

Mrs. Thomas: Johnny has Mr. Smith as a teacher next year. I hear he is an excellent teacher.
Mrs. Rashid: He's very nice.
Mrs. T: Are you happy with the school district?
Mrs. Rashid: There are many lovely people in the neighborhood.

In this conversation, the miscommunication occurs when Mrs. Thomas asks the question, “Are you happy with the school district?” and Mrs. Rashid violates the Maxim of Relevance by not responding in a relevant way. Instead, she says, “There are many lovely people in the neighborhood.” Mrs. Thomas is probably interpreting that message to mean that Mrs. Rashid is in fact not happy with the school district, since she avoided answering the question in a relevant way and transitioned to a different topic. Mrs. Rashid does not want to discuss the school district, and is probably trying to avoid any negative discussion since it is where Mrs. Thomas teaches. She may or may not be happy with the school district, but is trying to remain respectful of Mrs. Thomas’ feelings by not discussing the district either way.