Speech Act

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Speech Act

• Use of language to accomplish something.
• (1) Ill see you at 300

2
Types of Speech Acts

• Assertion conveys information
• Question elicits information
• Request politely elicits action
• Order demands action
• Promise commits speaker to an action
• Threat commits speaker to an action unwanted
  by hearer

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Direct speech acts

• Speech acts that perform their function in a
  direct and literal manner.
• Examples
• The Blue Nile is on High Street.
• Is the game on?
• Give me the gun.
• Can you please help me.

4
Some sentence types are typically used for
certain types of speech acts.

• Sentence type speech act example
• Declarative assertion I have 5.
• Interrogative question Is this the 2 bus?
• Imperative order/ request Give me your money.

5
Another type of direct speech act

• Performative speech acts use certain kinds of
  verbs to perform linguistic actions.
• I declare that I am innocent.
• I ask who tracked mud all over the carpet.
• I order you to answer my question.
• I bet you 5 that OSU will beat Michigan.
• I promise to take out the garbage.

6
Caution!

• Verbs like promise, declare, ask, bet, etc. are
  not always used as performative verbs.
• John declared his love for Mary.
• Jen bet me that Penn State would win.

7
The hereby test

• If a sentence sound okay with hereby added, the
  verb is being used performatively.
• I hereby declare that I am innocent.
• John hereby declared his love for Mary.

8
The hereby test

• If a sentence sound okay with hereby added, the
  verb is being used performatively.
• I hereby declare that I am innocent.
• John hereby declared his love for Mary.

9
Indirect speech acts

• Acts accomplished by using language in indirect
  ways.
• Interpretation of a sentence that performs an
  indirect speech act is not literal.

10
Examples

• Can you get me a soda?
• Do you have the time?
• Its kind of hot in here.
• Ill be back to collect my money in an hour.

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