What aspect of language does pragmatics study?

Pragmatics focuses on the social context of language use, examining how meaning is constructed in relation to the situation or context in which communication occurs. This encompasses understanding the intentions of speakers, the social roles of participants, and the norms governing conversation. For instance, pragmatics helps explain how the same phrase can have different meanings depending on the context, tone, or setting.

The other areas mentioned in the choices refer to different branches of linguistic study: the rules governing word formation relate to morphology, the sounds of speech pertain to phonetics, and the structure of written language involves syntax and writing systems. While each of these components plays an important role in understanding language, they are distinct from the social implications and uses that pragmatics specifically addresses.