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At any stage in a well-run conversation, a certain amount is presupposed. The parties to the conversation take it for granted; or at least they purport to, whether sincerely or just “for the sake of the argument”. Presuppositions can be created or destroyed in the course of a conversation. This change is rule-governed, at least up to a point. The presuppositions at time r’depend, in a way about which at least some general principles can be laid down, on the presuppositions at an earlier time r and on the course of the conversation (and nearby events) between r and r’. Some things that might be said require suitable presuppositions. They are acceptable if the required presuppositions are present; not otherwise.‘me king of France is bald” requires the presupposition that France has one king, and one only;“Even George Lakoff could win” requires the presupposition that George is not a leading candidate; and so on. We …