This must have happened to you, too.

You are in a desperate hurry to get on with something and  your friend, sister, husband or boss, start rabbiting on about completely unconnected things, like details of the traffic, the clothes someone wore or his relationships etc.

You think: “Get to the point!!!”

Watch this experiment – the young guy stops people and asks them for some information, then suddenly, mid-stream, he confesses something completely irrelevant.

 

None of the people know quite how to respond to these unexpected confessions.

What you may not be aware of is that the has just flouted Grice’s maxim of relevance.

Grice’s maxim of relevance, urging us to “make our contribution relevant to the current purpose of the exchange,” is crucial for both spoken and written communication.

In conversations, it ensures everyone stays on topic, avoids rambling, and contributes meaningfully.

Imagine a friend asking for restaurant recommendations, and you respond with a detailed history of fast food chains. This irrelevant response breaks the flow and frustrates the listener.

Similarly, in writing, irrelevant tangents derail the reader’s focus and dilute the message.

Stick to the point, whether in a casual chat or a formal report!

In this way, even if what you say is not brilliant, at least it will be clear, easy to follow and in this way you will ultimately be able to create stronger connections and understanding.

You can read more about Grice’s maxims and his cooperative principle on this Wikipedia Link

N.B. This topic is one of the many taught on the Cambridge DELTA course, an advanced language and teaching methods course for experienced TEFL teachers. 

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