Section B
Answer the following question in this section.

Question 3
Speakers are creative users of the languages they speak. In our everyday interaction with others, there are occasions when linguistic patterns are creatively used to produce and infuse humour into our conversations.
Reflecting on your communicative interactions within your social networks, identify an occasion where humour was infused into a communicative situation using language. Evaluate the use of language in the creation of humour. In your evaluation, consider the following aspects:

1. How did the speaker(s) make use of specific linguistic tools to introduce
humour into the situation?
2. What were the communicative intentions of the speaker(s)?
3. Did the speaker’s use of linguistic tools to introduce humour meet their
communicative intentions?
4. Could the speaker(s) have achieved their communicative intentions using
other linguistic tools?

Using the above reflection, explain the insights into the study of language which you have derived from the analysis of humour in language use.
The word limit for Question 3 is 1200 words.

Your essay will be marked holistically. The following are key pointers which serve to guide you in your organization of ideas and thoughts. Clear and coherent ideas/arguments with relevant data/linguistic examples will help to enhance the quality of the essay.

1. Define and explain the concepts of humour and language use. Where
appropriate, provide examples to illustrate your understanding.

2. Identify a communicative situation within your social networks where
language was used to inject humour into the situation. Provide contextual
details, such as time, place, interlocutors involved, and/or occasion so that a
clear description of the communicative situation is provided.

3. Applying your understanding of linguistic concepts, identify and explain the
linguistic tool(s) used by the speaker to create humour. Linguistic tools can
refer to the use of sounds, morphemes, syntactic structures, and/or semantics
of words and phrases. Linguistic concepts should be clearly defined and explained to exhibit your understanding. Links between linguistic patterns and
the concept of humour should be clearly elucidated.

4. From the perspective of the interlocutors, explain why hearers of the linguistic utterance would find it humorous. The explanation could include details such as shared societal and cultural beliefs, and/or shared knowledge among the interlocutors.

5. Evaluate the effectiveness of the use of the speaker’s linguistic tools to create humour. Was it effective or not effective? Why?

6. Identify and describe another way in which the speaker could have met their
communicative intentions without the use of humour. Evaluate the speaker’s
choice of linguistic tool.

7. Identify and explain the insights which you have derived as a result of
analysing the use of humour in communicative situations. How has the above
attempt changed the way you perceive the study of language?