In 1984, Q-and R-Principles, was first proposed by Laurence Horn。 The Q-principle from the speaker’s perspective, is intended to invoke the first maxim of Grice’s Quantity, and the R-principle from the hearer’s perspective the Relation maxim, but Horn’s principles are more extensive than the Gricean maxims, however it is too abstract and lack pragmatic inference mechanism。

Based on Horn’s research, Stephen Levinson in 1987 proposed the tripartite model which includes the Q-, I- and M-principles。 The theory proposed by Horn is the core element of neo-Gricean theory of conversational implicature。 He renames the second maxim of Quantity the PRINCIPLE OF INFORMATIVENESS。 Levinson presents his own ideas about the M-principle with the criticism of Horn’s principles。 He argues that Horn fails to draw a distinction between two kinds of minimization: a semantic minimization and an expression minimization。

The Principle of Relevance was formally proposed by Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson in their book Relevance: Communication and Cognition in1986。 They argue that all Gricean maxims, including the Cooperative Principle, should be changed into a single principle of relevance, which is defined as: Every act of ostensive communication communicates the presumption of its own optimal relevance (Hu 184)。 The Relevance Principle coins a new way in pragmatics, which tries to answer psychological questions about how the interpretation process unfolds in the audience mind。