Semantics: A Coursebook, Second Edition -

by James R. Hurford, Brendan Heasley, and Michael B. Smith is a widely used introductory textbook for linguistics students. It is highly regarded for its practical, step-by-step approach that combines short explanatory sections with immediate practice exercises. Core Content and Structure

– Introduces the distinction between sentences, utterances, and propositions.

– Examines lexical semantics, including how dictionaries represent meaning, meaning postulates, and participant roles (thematic roles). Semantics: A Coursebook, SECOND EDITION

– Focuses on how language refers to the world, exploring referring expressions, predicates, deixis, and definiteness.

– Shifts focus to abstract meaning, discussing sense properties, stereotypes, and sense relations like synonymy and hyponymy. by James R

The book is organized into six major parts, covering the evolution of meaning from basic reference to complex interpersonal communication:

– Covers speech acts (locutions, illocutions), conversational implicature, and figurative language like metaphor and metonymy. Key Educational Features It is highly regarded for its practical, step-by-step

– Introduces logical notation and connectives to help students understand how complex meanings are structured.