Communication serves several important functions: 1) Regulation and control - Communication can influence human behavior through commands, instructions, and directives from figures of authority. 2) Social interaction - Communication allows people to develop and maintain relationships and associations with others. 3) Motivation - People use language to express desires, needs, wants, and aspirations to motivate themselves and others.

1. FUNCTIONS OF
COMMUNICATION
Prepared by: Miss Janessa N. Dalimocon

2. REGULATION/CONTROL
• Communication can be used to control the behavior
of human beings.
• Examples: doctor’s prescriptions, parent’s instruction
to their children, employer’s orders to their
employees, costumers making orders, etc.
• Simple requests to laws governing large countries and
territories.

3. Language forms for Regulation and Control
• Imperatives (commands)
– Example: Please come in.
Get a chair.
Run.
• Rhetorical Questions (questions that influence human behavior)
– Example: Why don’t we go to the dining room now?
Do you have a pen?
Can you pass the salt?
• Declaratives (the speaker wants the listener to do something)
– Example: I want to be alone.
It’s hot in here. (do something to deal with it)
You need to hurry.

4. SOCIAL INTERACTION
• Human beings develop and maintain bonds,
intimacy, relations and associations.

5. MOTIVATION
• Motivation as a function of communication refers to a person using
language to express desires, needs, wants, likes and dislikes, choices and
aspirations.
• Forms expressing motivation includes:
– I need..
– I want…
– Give me..
– I dream of..
– I like….
– We pray for..

6. INFORMATION
• Communication can be used for giving and
getting information.
• Can come in different forms.

7. Language Forms for Information
• Declaratives
• I have two brothers.
• Philippine Normal University was established in 1901.
• For every action, there is a reaction.
• Rhetorical question
• Did you know that earphones can be used as microphones?
• Imperatives
• Show me how to tie a knot.
• Give me information regarding the weather.
• Tell me how much a can of corned beef costs.
• Questions
• Where is HCCC located?
• Did it rain last night?
• How many students do you have?

8. EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION
• Expressing emotions both verbally and non-verbally.
• Emotional expression through language can come in the form
of interjections or exclamations.