Presuppositions in the Advertisement of New Energy Vehicles: A Pragmatic Study
Yuehong Wei *
Department of English, North China Electric Power University, Baoding-071003, China.
Xinyu Ma
Department of English, North China Electric Power University, Baoding-071003, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Pragmatic presupposition, as a linguistic mechanism, plays a crucial role in conveying implicit meanings and is widely employed in various types of advertisements. This study examines the use of pragmatic presuppositions in English advertising slogans for new energy vehicles (NEVs), focusing on their frequency distribution and strategic functions. Utilizing a corpus-based approach, this research systematically analyzes a substantial collection of NEV advertising slogans to identify predominant presupposition types and their communicative effects. The findings reveal that belief presuppositions (35%) and state presuppositions (30%) are the most frequently employed, whereas behavior presuppositions (20%) and fact presuppositions (15%) appear less commonly. These variations are interpreted in relation to social background, technological advancements, and consumer psychology. The results suggest that advertisers strategically emphasize environmental consciousness and technological superiority through belief and state presuppositions to capture consumer interest and foster brand identification. This study not only enhances the understanding of pragmatic presuppositions in NEV advertisements but also provides theoretical insights for future advertising design and marketing strategies.
Keywords: Pragmatic presupposition, advertising for new energy vehicles, pragmatic function