TYPES OF SPEECH ACT WITH EXAMPLES

2. WHAT IS A SPEECH ACT?
• A SPEECH ACT IS AN UTTERANCE THAT SERVES A FUNCTION IN
COMMUNICATION. WE PERFORM SPEECH ACTS WHEN WE OFFER AN
APOLOGY, GREETING, REQUEST, COMPLAINT, INVITATION, COMPLIMENT,
OR REFUSAL. A SPEECH ACT MIGHT CONTAIN JUST ONE WORD, AS IN
"SORRY!" TO PERFORM AN APOLOGY, OR SEVERAL WORDS OR
SENTENCES: "I’M SORRY I FORGOT YOUR BIRTHDAY. I JUST LET IT SLIP
MY MIND." SPEECH ACTS INCLUDE REAL-LIFE INTERACTIONS AND
REQUIRE NOT ONLY KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE BUT ALSO
APPROPRIATE USE OF THAT LANGUAGE WITHIN A GIVEN CULTURE.

3. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF SPEECH
ACTS WE USE OR HEAR EVERY DAY:
• GREETING: "HI, ERIC. HOW ARE THINGS GOING?"
• REQUEST: "COULD YOU PASS ME THE MASHED POTATOES, PLEASE?"
• COMPLAINT: "I’VE ALREADY BEEN WAITING THREE WEEKS FOR THE COMPUTER,
AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE DELIVERED WITHIN A WEEK."
• INVITATION: "WE’RE HAVING SOME PEOPLE OVER SATURDAY EVENING AND
WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU’D LIKE TO JOIN US."
• COMPLIMENT: "HEY, I REALLY LIKE YOUR TIE!"
• REFUSAL: "OH, I’D LOVE TO SEE THAT MOVIE WITH YOU BUT THIS FRIDAY JUST
ISN’T GOING TO WORK."

4. THREE FACETS OF SPEECH ACTS
•1. LOCUTIONARY: MEANING, NAMELY, THE LITERAL MEANING
OF THE UTTERANCE.
•2. ILLOCUTIONARY: IS RELATED TO THE SOCIAL FUNCTION
THAT THE UTTERANCE OR THE WRITTEN TEXT HAS.
•3. PERLOCUTIONARY: IS THE RESULT OR EFFECT THAT IS
PRODUCED BY THE UTTERANCE IN THE GIVEN CONTEXT.

5. FOR EXAMPLE: ‘’IT’S STUFFY IN HERE’’
• THE LOCUTIONARY ACT IS THE SAYING OF IT WITH ITS LITERAL
MEANING “THERE ISN’T ENOUGH FRESH AIR IN HERE”.
• THE ILLOCUTIONARY ACT CAN BE A REQUEST OF THE HEARER TO
OPEN THE WINDOW.
• THE PERLOCUTINARY ACT CAN BE THE HEARER’S OPENING THE
WINDOW OR HIS REFUSAL TO DO SO. IN FACT, WE MIGHT UTTER TO
MAKE A STATEMENT, A REQUEST, AN EXPLANATION, OR FOR SOME
OTHER COMMUNICATIVE PURPOSES. THIS IS ALSO GENERALLY KNOWN
AS THE ILLOCUTIONARY FORCE OF THE UTTERANCE.

7. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
1. "THE WEATHER IS QUITE
PLEASANT TODAY."
A) LOCUTIONARY ACT
B) ILLOCUTIONARY ACT
C) PERLOCUTIONARY ACT

8. EXPLANATION:
•LOCUTIONARY ACT (A): REFERS
TO THE LITERAL ACT OF
UTTERING WORDS OR
PRODUCING SOUNDS.

9. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
2. "I APOLOGIZE FOR THE MISTAKE; I
DIDN'T MEAN TO OFFEND YOU."
A) LOCUTIONARY ACT
B) ILLOCUTIONARY ACT
C) PERLOCUTIONARY ACT

10. EXPLANATION:
•ILLOCUTIONARY ACT (B): REFERS TO
THE SPEAKER'S INTENTION OR THE
FORCE BEHIND THE UTTERANCE,
SUCH AS MAKING A STATEMENT,
ASKING A QUESTION, GIVING A
COMMAND, ETC.

11. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
3. "PLEASE PASS THE SALT."
A) LOCUTIONARY ACT
B) ILLOCUTIONARY ACT
C) PERLOCUTIONARY ACT

12. EXPLANATION:
•ILLOCUTIONARY ACT (B): REFERS TO
THE SPEAKER'S INTENTION OR THE
FORCE BEHIND THE UTTERANCE,
SUCH AS MAKING A STATEMENT,
ASKING A QUESTION, GIVING A
COMMAND, ETC.

13. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
4. "I DECLARE THIS MEETING
ADJOURNED."
A) LOCUTIONARY ACT
B) ILLOCUTIONARY ACT
C) PERLOCUTIONARY ACT

14. EXPLANATION:
•ILLOCUTIONARY ACT (B): REFERS TO
THE SPEAKER'S INTENTION OR THE
FORCE BEHIND THE UTTERANCE,
SUCH AS MAKING A STATEMENT,
ASKING A QUESTION, GIVING A
COMMAND, ETC.

15. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
5. "BY SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES, YOU
INSPIRE OTHERS TO PURSUE THEIR
DREAMS."
A) LOCUTIONARY ACT
B) ILLOCUTIONARY ACT
C) PERLOCUTIONARY ACT

16. EXPLANATION:
•PERLOCUTIONARY ACT (C):
FOCUSES ON THE EFFECT OR
IMPACT OF THE UTTERANCE ON
THE LISTENER, SUCH AS
PERSUADING, CONVINCING,
INSPIRING, ETC.

17. 5 TYPES OF
SPEECH ACTS

18. •REPRESENTATIVES
•DIRECTIVES
•COMMISSIVES
•EXPRESSIVES
•DECLARATIONS

19. REPRESENTATIVES
• REPRESENTATIVE IS A SPEECH ACT
THAT COMMITS A SPEAKER TO THE
TRUTH OF THE EXPRESSED
PROPOSITION (ASSERTING,
CONCLUDING, DESCRIBING)
• E.G. I WENT TO THE AFFANDI
PAINTING EXHIBITION. THERE ARE
ABOUT TWENTY PAINTING ON
DISPLAY. SOME ARE VERY CLASSIC
AND EXTRAORDINARILY AWESOME.

20. DIRECTIVES
DIRECTIVE IS A SPEECH ACT THAT IS TO
CAUSE THE HEARER TO TAKE A PARTICULAR
ACTION (REQUESTING, QUESTIONING,
ORDERING)
1) I NEED/ WANT THAT CAR.
2) GIVE ME YOUR PEN.
3) COULD YOU GIVE ME YOUR PEN, PLEASE?
4) MAY I HAVE SOME SODA? IS THERE ANY
MILK LEFT?
5) THIS HAS TO BE DONE OVER. WHAT ABOUT
THE RENOVATION?

21. COMMISSIVES
COMMISSIVE IS A SPEECH ACT
THAT COMMITS A SPEAKER TO
SOME FUTURE ACTION
(PROMISES, REFUSES,
OFFERING)
•E.G. MAYBE I CAN DO THAT
TOMORROW.
•DON’T WORRY, I’LL BE THERE.

22. EXPRESSIVES
EXPRESSIVE IS A SPEECH ACT
THAT EXPRESSES ON THE
SPEAKER'S ATTITUDES AND
EMOTIONS TOWARDS THE
PROPOSITION (THANKING,
APOLOGIZING)
•E.G. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED.
•WHAT A GREAT DAY!!!
•OH MY, THAT’S TERRIBLE.

23. DECLARATIONS
DECLARATIVE IS A SPEECH ACT THAT
CHANGES THE REALITY IN ACCORD
WITH THE PROPOSITION OF THE
DECLARATION(EXCOMMUNICATING,
DECLARING WAR)
•E.G. CLASS DISMISSED (STUDENTS
GET UP AND LEAVE) .
•I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU HUSBAND
AND WIFE.

24. INDIRECT SPEECH
ACTS
• “COULD YOU MOVE OVER A BIT?”
• “YES” (WITHOUT MOVING IS
INAPPROPRIATE)
• MOVING (WITHOUT “YES” IS
APPROPRIATE)
• NOTE: “COULD YOU MOVE OVER A BIT”
IS A PRECONDITION TO THE ACTUAL
SPEECH ACT, “MOVE OVER.”

25. (2) A. IT’S COLD OUTSIDE.
B. I HEREBY TELL YOU ABOUT THE WEATHER.
C. I HEREBY REQUEST OF YOU THAT YOU CLOSE THE DOOR.
• WHENEVER THERE IS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A STRUCTURE
AND A FUNCTION, WE HAVE A DIRECT SPEECH ACT.
• FOR EXAMPLE, A DECLARATIVE USED TO MAKE A STATEMENT IS A
DIRECT SPEECH ACT, BUT A DECLARATIVE USED TO MAKE A REQUEST IS
AN INDIRECT SPEECH ACT. AS ILLUSTRATED IN (2), THE UTTERANCE IN
(2A) IS A DECLARATIVE. WHEN IT IS USED TO MAKE A STATEMENT, AS
PARAPHRASED IN (2B), IT IS FUNCTIONING AS A DIRECT SPEECH ACT.
WHEN IT IS USED TO MAKE A COMMAND/REQUEST, AS PARAPHRASED IN
(2C), IT IS FUNCTIONING AS AN INDIRECT SPEECH ACT.

27. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
1. "I PROMISE TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR PROJECT
OVER THE WEEKEND."
A) REPRESENTATIVES
B) DIRECTIVES
C) COMMISSIVES
D) EXPRESSIVES
E) DECLARATIONS

28. EXPLANATION:
•COMMISSIVES (C): INVOLVES
COMMITTING TO A FUTURE
ACTION, SUCH AS MAKING A
PROMISE.

29. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
2. "THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE COMPANY IS
EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES."
A) REPRESENTATIVES
B) DIRECTIVES
C) COMMISSIVES
D) EXPRESSIVES
E) DECLARATIONS

30. EXPLANATION:
•REPRESENTATIVES (A):
INVOLVES CONVEYING
INFORMATION OR MAKING
STATEMENTS ABOUT THE
WORLD.

31. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
3. "PLEASE CLOSE THE WINDOW; IT'S GETTING
COLD IN HERE."
A) REPRESENTATIVES
B) DIRECTIVES
C) COMMISSIVES
D) EXPRESSIVES
E) DECLARATIONS

32. EXPLANATION:
•DIRECTIVES (B): INVOLVES
GIVING INSTRUCTIONS OR
MAKING REQUESTS.

33. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
4. "CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR GRADUATION!
I'M SO PROUD OF YOU.“
A) REPRESENTATIVES
B) DIRECTIVES
C) COMMISSIVES
D) EXPRESSIVES
E) DECLARATIONS

34. EXPLANATION:
•EXPRESSIVES (D): INVOLVES
EXPRESSING FEELINGS,
ATTITUDES, OR EMOTIONAL
STATES.

35. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
5. "I HEREBY DECLARE THIS FACILITY OPEN FOR
PUBLIC USE.“
A) REPRESENTATIVES
B) DIRECTIVES
C) COMMISSIVES
D) EXPRESSIVES
E) DECLARATIONS

36. EXPLANATION:
•DECLARATIONS (E): INVOLVES
BRINGING ABOUT A CHANGE IN THE
EXTERNAL WORLD BY THE ACT OF
SPEAKING, SUCH AS DECLARING
SOMETHING TO BE THE CASE.