Presuppositions · Pattern 9 of 9
Ordinal
Ordinal and sequence words presuppose an order of events — and often that additional stages or events exist.
Content expansion pending
Content expansion pending: exact trainer examples for Ordinal will replace these placeholders once the transcript teaching is available.
What it is
"The first thing you might notice…" presupposes there is more than one thing. "Another option is…" presupposes options already exist. Ordinals build a sequence the listener accepts in order to follow the sentence at all.
Recognition / tip-offs
What is being presupposed
- There is a sequence
- Further stages or items exist beyond the one named
- The named item has a place in that order
Client-language use
"The last time I tried" presupposes earlier attempts. "First I have to fix my confidence" presupposes a required order that may not be necessary.
How to challenge it
Question the necessity of the order and what the sequence assumes exists.
- “What makes that the first step?”
- “Does it have to happen in that order?”
- “First of how many?”
Practitioner judgement: challenge what is useful, not every pattern you can hear.
Purposeful practitioner use
"The first thing you may notice is…" presupposes more will follow, without stating what. Keep the sequence open so the client fills it with their own experience.
Client autonomy first — offer language the client can verify and decline.
Examples
“First I have to fix my confidence, then I can apply.”
Presupposed A required order exists; also Necessity and Possibility.
Challenge: “Does it have to happen in that order?”
“The first thing you might notice is that it feels a little different.”
Presupposed There is more than one thing to notice; something will be noticed.
Common mistakes
- Hearing ordinals as harmless narration
- Missing that 'another' presupposes existing items
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