Speech Act

Speech Act is an act that a speaker

performs when making an utterance.

To analyze speech act we need

knowledge about the physical world and the
social world.

Speech Acts

Declarations Performatives
 DECLARATIONS

Declarations are the utterances in

which saying the words and doing the
action are the same thing.

Felicity Conditions : the conditions

that must be fulfilled so that the
utterance can be perceived by the
sender and the receiver.

Eg : I now pronounce you

husband and wife.
 Performatives

Performatives are utterances in which saying is

doing and they are only succesful if certain felicity
condition are fulfilled.

Eg : I order you to clean your boot (order) or

Clean your boot (imperative)
 I order you to
open the door !
The The sender believes the action should be done
felicity
conditions The receiver has the ability to do the action

The receiver has the obligation to do the action

If any one of
these The sender has the right to tell the
conditions is receiver to do the action
not fulfilled,
the utterance
will not function
as an order
example
example the situation
the power of the sender over the receiver is considerable
between teacher and student

I think your answer could be a bit longer

I'm bloody sure you can answer longer
You areyou've
Right, supposed
had to answer
it that.
now. with longer
Trying
It's Joe,
my job
make than
to explanation.
see
youryou
answer
have longer!!!
answered longer.
to undermine my authority!!!!
Joe, I order you to make your answer
You are on a charge!!!!!!!
longer!!!

I've written all I can but it

Don't you think having
Iwon't
didn't
complete
come
What see
answer
any
No,you
Sir.
that
in a
longer.
told me was
in the
simple
No,allSir.
right.
instruction
way is more important?
(INSTRUCTION :
ANSWER THE QUESTION
COMPLETELY !)
explanation
T : I think your answer could be a bit longer. Condition 1
S : Don't you think having complete answer in a simple way
Challenge
is more important?
T : I'm bloody sure you can answer longer than that. Condition 2
S : I've written all I can but it won't come any longer. Challenge
T : You are supposed to answer with longer explanation. Condition 3
S : I didn't see that in the instruction Challenge
(INSTRUCTION : ANSWER THE QUESTION COMPLETELY !)
T : It's my job to see you have answered longer. Condition 4
S : What you told me was all right. Challenge
T : Joe, make your answer longer!!! Imperative
S : No, Mom. Refusal
T : Joe, I order you to make your answer longer!!! Explicit Performative
S : No, Mom. Refusal
T : Right, you've had it now. Trying to undermine my
authority!!!! You are on a charge!!!!!!! S.A. theory
Speech Acts Theory
provides us with a means of probing beneath the
surface of discourse and establishing the function of
what is being said
examines the structure of discourse

in terms of surface underlying relations of

relation of form functions and acts.
Speech acts theory uses technical terms for these layers of
intentions and interpretation
1. Locution meaning - the literal meaning of what is said
Eg : It's hot in here.
2. Illocution meaning - the social function of what is
said
Eg : 'It's hot in here' , could be:
- an indirect request for someone to open the
window
- an indirect refusal to close the window because someone is
cold
- a complaint implying that someone should know better than
to keep the windows closed (expressed emphatically)
3. Perlocution meaning - the effect of what is said
Eg : 'It's hot in here' could result in someone opening the
windows