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HA NOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY 2
FOREIGN LANGUAGES FACULTY
= = == = =

LE THI PHUONG LINH

A STUDY ON VIOLATION AND FLOUTING OF
CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS IN THE SERIES
“HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER”
(SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT
OF THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH)

HANOI, 2019

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HA NOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY 2
FOREIGN LANGUAGES FACULTY
= = == = =

LE THI PHUONG LINH

A STUDY ON VIOLATION AND FLOUTING OF
CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS IN THE SERIES
“HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER”
(SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT

decision of doing the research, I owe them many encouragements and sharing.

Date submitted: 10th May, 2019
Student

Le Thi Phuong Linh

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STATE OF AUTHORSHIP
Title: An Study on Violation and Flouting of Conversational
Maxims in the series “ How I Met Your Mother”
I hereby certify that no part of this research has been copied from any
other person’s work without acknowledgements and the study is originally
written by me under the guidance of my supervisor.
Date submitted: 10th May, 2019
Student

Le Thi Phuong Linh

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Figure 1. The percentage of each violated maxim .................................................... 16
Figure 2. The percentage of each flouted maxim...................................................... 18

Table 1: The frequency of maxim violation .........................................................................15
Table 2: The frequency of maxim flouting ...........................................................................17
Table 3. The functions of maxim violation ...........................................................................19
Table 4. The functions of maxim flouting ............................................................................20

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................1
1.1. Background of the study ......................................................................................1
1.2. Significances of the study ....................................................................................3
1.3. Aims of the study .................................................................................................3
1.4. Research questions ...............................................................................................3
1.5. Scope of the study ................................................................................................3
1.6. Organization of the study .....................................................................................4
1.7. The sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” ................................................................4
1.7.1. Population .........................................................................................................4
1.7.2. Main Characters ................................................................................................4
1.7.3. A summary of season 2 .....................................................................................6
CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................................7

by the main characters? .............................................................................................15
4.1.1.1. Which conversational maxims are violated by the main characters? ..........15
4.1.1.2. Which conversational maxims are flouted by the main characters? ............16
4.1.2. Research Question 2: What are the functions of maxim(s) violation/flouting
conveyed by the main characters?.............................................................................18
4.1.2.1 What are the functions of maxim violation? .................................................18
4.1.2.2. What are the functions of maxim flouting? .................................................19
4.2. Discussion ..........................................................................................................21
4.2.1. The types of maxim violation in the season 2 of HIMYM series. ..................21
4.2.1.1.

The violation of quality maxim ................................................................21

4.2.1.2.

The violation of manner maxim ...............................................................22

4.2.1.3. The violation of multi-maxim ......................................................................23
4.2.2. The types of maxim flouting in the season 2 of HIMYM series. ..................24
4.2.2.1. The flouting of quantity maxim ...................................................................24
4.2.2.2. The flouting of quality maxim .....................................................................24
4.2.2.3. The flouting of relation maxim ....................................................................25
4.2.2.4. The flouting of manner maxim ..................................................................26
4.3.

The functions of maxim violation and flouting in the HIMYM series. .........27

4.3.1. Representatives ...............................................................................................27
4.3.2. Expressives ......................................................................................................29
4.3.3. Directives ........................................................................................................30

and communicate with each other. Communication in society happens chiefly by
means of language. However, the users of language, as social beings, communicate
and use language on society’s premises; society controls their access to the
linguistic and communicative means (Mey, 2005). To conduct a good conversation,
both interlocutors should be active in the interaction. In other words, the speaker
and listener have cooperative behaviors while they are communicating with each
other.
Pragmatics studies the use of language in human communication as
determined by the conditions of society. Pragmatics is a field of knowledge that
makes people know how to appropriately achieve the mutual comprehension, and
politely face the challenges, which are caused by the miscommunication and
misunderstanding in international situations (Kasper, 1997). In fact, people coming
from different places attempt to accomplish the appropriateness in English as a
foreign language. Thus, in order to make an efficient and effective conversation
with others from different areas, they (including both native and non-active English
speakers) should be taught with pragmatics.
Also, Crystal (1997) emphasizes the close relation between pragmatics
competence and English proficiency in his study:” Pragmatics is the study of
language form and the point of view of users, especially of the choices they make,
the constraints they encounter in using language in social interaction, and the effects
their use of language has on other participants in the act of communication”. It can
be said that pragmatics is a socio-cultural context study in intercultural
communication, which is contributed not only from the speakers in saying
utterances but also from the hearers in understanding the utterances from their
opinions. Also the contributions of interlocutors, contexts of utterances such as
physical, social, linguistic contexts and the meaning of potential utterances are
taken into account in producing meaning. In this case, the study will only focus on
researching the meaning of potential utterances in conversations.

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to deeply understand the way participants fail to observe the Grice’s theory,
researchers ought to put each conversation in its context.
With some non-native English learners, it seems hard for them to collect the
sources of authentic materials. However, nowadays, the trend of film industry is to
make the artworks become more closer with daily lives. Every situation or event is
cleverly mentioned in each scene, so movies are alike lively pictures of every
person’s life in diverse situations. The sitcom “HIMYM” is considered as an
outstanding example. The situations happening around the main characters might be
so familiar, but with the unique storytelling, it did bring audiences not only

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eccentric laugh but also meaningful lessons to lives. The main characters in the
HIMYM series do not always observe the Grice’s maxims. In communicating with
others, the main characters do interaction which is not in accordance with maxims
in different situations. If learners study about pragmatics’ theory, by analyzing
social interactions in the series, they will feel more interested. Moreover, it will be
one of the additional references in the field of pragmatic and discourse studies,
which helps to affect the perception of language learners. especially in this case is
English learners’.
1.2. Significances of the study
The study is significantly conducted with functions. Theoretically, it is
expected to provide deeper knowledge as an additional reference for learning in the
pragmatic field, especially the Grice’s theory about the observance and nonobservance of Cooperative Principle and Speech Acts. In additon, this study is
employed to help the teachers to guide their students on Grice’s cooperative
principles through authentic materials and help other researchers in doing similar

introduction. Chapter two is review of related literature in which the write
describes his background knowledge related to the study. Next, chapter three is
methodology including methods to collect and analyse the data for answering
research questions. Chapter four is final results and detailed discussions about the
research subjects. Finally, chapter five, conclusion, summaries all of the study from
the beginning up to ending.
1.7. The sitcom “How I Met Your Mother”
1.7.1. Population
How I Met Your Mother (abbreviated to HIMYM) is an American situation
comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 19, 2005 to March 31, 2014.
The series is set around the main character, Ted Mosby, and his group of best friend
including the long-lasting couple Lily and Marshall, Robin and Barney in New
York City’s Manhattan. The sitcom simply starts with the scene in which Ted is
recounting to his son and daughter the events that had him meet their mother in the
year of 2030. Famous for its unique plot, eccentric humor, and incorporation of
dramatic elements, HIMYM has become the legendary American series which have
gained a cult following over the years. The sitcom was won 10 Emmy Awards out
of 30 nominations. In 2010, Alyson Hannigan won the People's Choice Award for
Favorite TV Comedy Actress. In 2012, seven years after its premiere, the series
won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Network TV Comedy, and Neil Patrick
Harris won the award for Favorite TV Comedy Actor.
With its reputation through years, the study of this series in terms of
language theory may become easier both for the research conductors and language
learners.
1.7.2. Main Characters
The series concerns the adventures of Ted Mosby (played by Josh Radnor)
narrating the story of how he met the mother of his children. The story is in 2005
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really a womanizing playboy who always uses his money and outrageous strategies
to seduce women with no intention of engaging in a long relationship. However, he
is a kind-hearted and generous person to his friends. He also makes the gang laugh
so much because of his jokes.

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Lily Aldrin is Marshall’s wife. She works as a kindergarten teacher, and an
aspiring artist. Though she is terrible at keeping secrets and can be manipulative at
times, Lily is so sweet and sincere. Lily Aldrin’s best girlfriend is Robin.
1.7.3. A summary of season 2
The summer of 2006 is both wonderful and awful. Ted finally gets together
with Robin, but Lily breaks up with Marshall just before the wedding comes for
chasing her real dream in San Francisco. Because of Lily’s fallout, Marshall seems
to be another person who always stays at home, cry and remember his fiance. After
enduring numerous emotional breakdowns, the gang decide to step in his problem,
Barney tries to get Marshall back to the dating game. After a time, Marshall
becomes Barney’s new ‘wingman’ as Ted is now in a serious relationship with
Robin. Marshal also follows Barney’s advice to impress women, but mostly fails.
Later, Lily, after finally realizing she is not meant to be an artist, returns to New
York. They remain separated since Marshall starts to date another girl, described by
the gang as having 'crazy eyes'. The date with the girl does not end well and
eventually Lily and Marshall become reunited, and their engagement happily
resumes.
The second story is Robin’s aversion to mall which piques the gang’s interest
as to what secret she is hiding. Marshall suspects she is married, and Barney