:Counter-presuppositional:

Pronunciation GB: ˌkaʊntəˌpriːsʌpəˈzɪʃnl, GA: ˌkaʊnərˌpriːsʌpəˈzɪʃnl

A mode of utterance which has implications for the placement of the intonational nucleus. Counter-presuppositional mode is used to correct perceived presuppositions which the speaker thinks are erroneous. In English, counter-presuppositional mode is signalled by placing the nucleus on a preposition in a prepositional phrase, on the to particle of an infinitive phrase or on some part of the verb phrase, excluding the auxiliary. This type of nucleus placement is an example of minimal focus marking. Examples of counter-presuppositional utterances are the second part of the following dialogues, where the nuclear syllables are indicated by underlining:

A: Why didn’t you pick him up at the station?
B: He wasn’t at the station.

A: It’s your turn to do the washing up.
B: There isn’t anything to wash up.

A: Shouldn’t they have turned the gas off?
B: The gas has been turned off.