Speech Acts

• What are speech acts?

  Speech acts are utterances made by the speaker that have an intended effect on the recipient.
• What is a locutionary act?

  A locutionary act refers to what has been said or the actual act of uttering.
• Give an example of a locutionary act.

  "Keep quiet." is an example of a locutionary act.
• What is an illocutionary act?

  An illocutionary act is the social function of what has been uttered.
• What is a perlocutionary act?

  A perlocutionary act is the actual effect brought about by saying something.
• What is an indirect speech act?

  An indirect speech act occurs when there is an indirect relationship between the form and the function of the utterance.
• What are performatives?

  Performatives are statements that enable the speaker to perform something just by stating it.
• What happens when a performative utterance is stated correctly?

  A performative utterance results in a change in the world.
• What are the five classifications of speech acts according to Searle (1979)?

  • Declaration
  • Commissive
  • Directive
  • Expressive
  • Assertive
• What is a declaration in speech acts?

  A declaration is an act that brings a change in the external situation.
• Give examples of declarations.

  Examples include appointing, naming, resigning, and baptizing.
• What is a commissive in speech acts?

  A commissive is an utterance used to commit the speaker to do something in the future.
• Give examples of commissives.

  Examples include promising, vowing, and offering.
• What is a directive in speech acts?

  A directive aims to make someone else do something the speaker desires.
• Give examples of directives.

  Examples include requesting, ordering, and advising.
• What is an expressive in speech acts?

  An expressive is an utterance used to express the emotional state of the speaker.
• Give examples of expressives.

  Examples include apologizing, thanking, and congratulating.
• What is an assertive in speech acts?

  An assertive is an utterance intended to tell how things are in the world.
• Give examples of assertives.

  Examples include stating, asserting, and predicting.