Offering more than what its title suggests, Key terms in pragmatics comprises three parts: a comprehensive glossary of key terms, biographical essays on key thinkers, and a bibliography of key works, preceded by an introduction to pragmatics and its evolution. In its very first sentence, the introduction acknowledges that there is no consensus regarding pragmatics' scope, methods, and goals. However, the book identifies four fundamentals as being at the core of pragmatics: (i) the speaker's complex intention, (ii) the addressee's recognition of this intention based on inference, (iii) the presence of a set of principles or maxims that govern communication, and (iv) a distinction between explicit and implicated aspects of speaker meaning (1). Elaborating on these four fundamentals, the introduction highlights certain concepts, such as implicature, reference, and speech acts, that account for some of the ways in which a speaker's meaning goes beyond or differs from what the uttered words mean. Explanatory examples and historical origins accompany a discussion of these key concepts. Moving to the pragmatics-semantics distinction, a number of views and their respective drawbacks are critically outlined. A brief sketch of the evolution of pragmatics during three periods—antiquity, Grice's and Austin's era (when the field flourished), and the modern period—rounds off the introduction.

Arranged alphabetically, Part 1, “Key terms,” offers a glossary of 236 terms in pragmatics. For each term, the book offers simplified definitions, different perspectives, and well-exemplified clear explanations. Terms are situated in their historical context, with their source or origin outlined. Most terms are cross-referenced to relevant entries within the glossary. Entries vary in length from a two-sentence paragraph, as in “cognitive environment” (29), up to six pages, as in “conversational maxims” (45–51).

Part 2, “Key thinkers, ” provides the reader with a biographical account of nine of the most influential scholars in the area of pragmatics: J. L. Austin, Kent Bach, Noam Chomsky, H. P. Grice, Lawrence Horn, Stephen C. Levinson, John Searle, Dan Serber, and Deirdre Wilson. Although he has not worked in the field of pragmatics per se, Chomsky is included due to the nature of his work and his views, which are of direct relevance to pragmatics. In addition to their intellectual backgrounds and major contributions to the theory of pragmatics, a list of major works and secondary sources rounds out each profile.

Part 3, “Key works,” offers a bibliography of 187 useful works, primarily on pragmatics, but also extending to cover some related works in syntax, general linguistics, and semantics. Allott distinguishes those works “most central to pragmatics” (thirty entries marked with a single asterisk) and works that are “suitable as introductory texts” (fourteen entries marked with a double asterisk). Two of the works listed, Cartson (2002) and Levinson (1983), are marked with three asterisks, possibly to signal that they fit into both categories. Overall, Key terms in pragmatics is a handy reference that offers undergraduates a thorough, readable overview of the field.