Felicity conditions for Speech acts

Felicity conditions: Request

Propositional content

Future act A of H

Preparatory condition

(i) H is able to do A.
(ii) It is not obvious to both S and H that H will do A in the normal course of events

Sincerity condition

S wants H to do A

Essential condition

Counts as an attempt to get H to do A

Felicity conditions: Question

Propositional content

Any proposition

Preparatory condition

(i) S does not know the answer

(ii) It is not obvious that H will provide the information without being asked

Sincerity condition

S wants this information

Essential condition

Counts as an attempt to ellicit this information

Felicity conditions: Advising

Propositional content

Future act A of H

Preparatory condition

(i) S has some reason to believe A will benefit H

(ii) It is not obvious to both S and H that H will do A in the normal course of events

Sincerity condition

S believes A will benefit H

Essential condition

Counts as an undertaking to the effect that A is in H‘s best interest

Felicity conditions: Warning

Propositional content

Future event E

Preparatory condition

(i) S thinks E will occur and is not in H’s interest

(ii) S thinks it is not obvious to H that E will occur

Sincerity condition

S believes E is not in H’s best interest

Essential condition

Counts as an undertaking that E is not in H’s best interest

Felicity conditions: Congratulating

Propositional content

Some event, act, etc., E related to H

Preparatory condition

(i) E is in H‘s interest

Sincerity condition

S is pleased at E

Essential condition

Counts as an expression of pleasure at E

Felicity conditions: Greeting

Propositional content

None

Preparatory condition

S has just encountered (or been introduced to, etc.) H

Sincerity condition

None

Essential condition

Counts as courteous recognition of H by S