Speech acts

Group 12
 Our group’s members

Lê Hoàng Hải Đăng Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Duyên

Nguyễn Trần Lan Anh Ngô Thái Minh An

Mai Thị Thanh Tâm

 Table of contents

Overview of speech
01 acts 02 Direct and indirect
speech acts

Speech acts
03 classification
04 Exercises
 01
Overview of
speech acts
 1. What is a speech act ?

A speech act is an utterance that

serves a function in
communication.
 1. What is a speech act ?

We use the term speech act to

describe actions such as
“requesting,” “commanding,”
“questioning” or “informing.”
 2. Components of speech acts

Locutionary Illocutionary Perlocutionary

act act act
 2.1 Locutionary act ( propositional meaning )

It is the basic literal meaning of the utterance which

is conveyed by the particular words and structures
which the utterance contains.
 2.2 Illocutionary act

It is the intention/purpose of the speaker when

making an utterance (also known as the
illocutionary force of the utterance)
 2.2 locutionary act & Illocutionary act

For example : " I’m thirsty."

Locutionary act Illocutionary act
 the propositional meaning is  It may be intended as a
what the utterance says about request for something to
the speaker’s physical state. drink.
 2.3 Perlocutionary act

It is the effect of the utterance on the hearer.

For example :
A speaker says : "You should really try this restaurant. Their
food is amazing!"
 to persuade the listener to try the restaurant based on the
speaker's positive evaluation of the food.
 Direct and Indirect
02 speech acts
 Illocutionary divided into 2 types:

Direct speech acts Indirect speech acts

Whenever there is a Whenever there is an
direct relationship indirect relationship
between a structure between a structure
and a function and a function
 How to make a direct speech acts

1. Use the typical association between sentence forms

and speech acts.
Example : Can you ride a bicycle?

 when we don’t know something and we ask

someone to provide the information, we produce a
direct speech act
 How to make a direct speech acts

1. Use the typical association between sentence forms

and speech acts.
Declarative Interrogative Imperative
statement He washed the
dishes.
question Who washed the
dishes?
order/ Do the dishes
request (please)!
 How to make a direct speech acts

2. Use the performative verbs performatively.

Speech act verb that names the example
speech act
assertion assert I assert that he washes
the dishes.
question ask I ask who will wash the
dishes
order order I order you to wash the
dishes.
 How to make a direct speech acts

2. Use the performative verbs performatively.

Speech act verb that names the example
speech act
request I request that you wash
request
the dishes.
promise promise I promise that I’ll wash
the dishes.
advice advise I advise you to wash the
dishes.
Performative speech act

1. Definition:
A performative speech act is one in which the utterance
itself is the action beingperformed.

In other words, the speaker is not simply making a

statement about the world, but is actually performing
something in the world through their words.
Performative speech act

1. Definition:
A performative speech act is one in which the utterance
itself is the action beingperformed.

In other words, the speaker is not simply making a

statement about the world, but is actually performing
something in the world through their words.
Example

- “I do”
-> said under the right circumstances by the right
speakers with the right intentions—transforms the
utterer from being unmarried to being married.
Example

- "I promise to do the dishes”

-> this person does not just say something, and in
particular he does not describe what he is doing;
rather, in making the utterance he performs the
promise.
 How to make an indirect speech acts

declarative interrogative imperative

assertion Is ice old?

question I want to know who Why don’t you

washed the dishes. leave?
request The dishes are not Would you mind
washed yet. washing the
dishes?
 03
Speech acts
classification
 3.1
Representative
Definition and example!!
 Representative
1. Definition

 Representatives are speech acts in which the words commit the speaker to
the truth of the expressed proposition.

 Representative speech act can be noted by some speech act verbs, such as:
remind, tell, assert, deny, correct, state, guess, predict, report, describe,
inform, insist, assure, agree, claim, beliefs, and conclude.
 Representative

The words are produced based on the speaker’s

observation of certain things followed by stating the fact
or opinion based on the observation.

Examples: “She’s beautiful.”

“He is sick.”
 Representative

It also refers to what the speaker’s belief is true.

Statements of fact, assertions, conclusions, and descriptions are all

examples of the speaker representing what they believe it is.
For example: “The earth is flat.”
“The Moon goes around the Earth.”
3.2 Commissives

Definition and example!!

 Commissives
1. Definition
Commissives are speech acts in which the words commit the speaker to
some future action, these include “promising, offering, threatening,
refusing, vowing and volunteering”.

For example: “I’ll be back.”

“If you don’t stop fighting I’ll call the police.”
3.3 Declarative

Definition and example!!

 Declarative

A speech act that changes the

state of affairs in the world:
dismissing, sentening, naming,
blessing, announcing mariage.
 Example

Judge: “You are sentenced to

death”
Judge has the power to declare
something, sentenced a criminal.
Huang (in May 2009:1004) adds “Declarations (or
declaratives) are those kinds of speech acts that effect
immediate changes in some current state of affairs.”
Ex: I resign from this job

the speaker do not work again in that job

3.4 Directive

Definition and example!!

 What is the directive ?

A speech act that has the function of

getting the listener to do something,
such as a suggestion, a request, or a
command ...
Example

A: “Sweep the floor!

B: Ok
to express a command of what the
speaker intends the hearer to do.
Example
3.4 EXPRESSIVE
Definition and example!!
 EXPRESSIVE

Expressives are those the

categories in speech acts
which can state what
speakers feel 。
 EXPRESSIVE

They expressed the

psychological states it could be
statement of pleasure, pain,
likes, dislikes, joy, or sorrow.
 EXPRESSIVE

In using an expressive, a
speaker make words fit the
world (of feeling).
 FOR EXAMPLE

"The food is fabulous. "

The speaker shows that he likes

the food.
3.5 ROGATIVE
Definition and example!!
 ROGATIVE

Rogative occurs when the

lecturer asks or gives a
question to the students during
interaction speech event.
 ROGATIVE

Proposed an extra category to

deal with requests for
information: rogatives through
which speakers askfor
information.
 ROGATIVE

In rogatives the hearer rather

than the speaker will make
thewords fit the world
(asking, querying,
questioning).
 FOR EXAMPLE

Lan: What do you do?

Diep: I am a teacher.
 "What do you do?" is a rogative: Lan
directly asks/requests Diep for some
information on his job.
Mini – Game
04
Let’s
Let’splay
playgame!!!
game!!!
THANKS
FOR
LISTENING !