On Cataphora in English Conversations From the Perspective of Relevance Theory

Cataphora is an essential cohesive device though occurring rarely in natural conversations. Regarding Relevance Theory, an individual’s cognitive system, only processes those assumptions relevant to his context in communication. Thus, speakers should be listener-friendly to achieve effective communication. Adopting Relevance Theory, this paper aims to explore its explanatory power to cataphora in English conversations. The findings suggest that Relevance Theory can provide a reasonable explanation for cataphora.

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