Pragmatics

Contract. A supplier writes, “If payment is received by Friday, the discount applies.” Most business readers do not treat this as a detached logic puzzle. They hear a practical rule: pay by Friday, get the discount; miss Friday, probably no discount. The phrase carries intent, relevance, and a small but important threat wrapped in polite operational language. ...

A promise is rarely just a logical operator. “If you mow the lawn, I’ll give you 50 dollars” does not sound like a philosophical exercise in truth tables. It sounds like a deal. Most people hear it as: no mowing, no money. By contrast, “If you’re hungry, there’s pizza in the oven” does not mean the pizza appears only under the metaphysical condition of your hunger. It means the pizza is there, and your hunger merely explains why I am telling you. ...