Speech Acts

Question 1

who studied speech act theory and what did they propose

Answer 1

JJ Austin; words as actions to be studied

Question 2

structures of speech acts

Answer 2

1. locutions
2. illocutions
3. perlocutions

Question 3

what is a locution

Answer 3

actual form of the word and their semantic meaning

Question 4

what is an illocution

Answer 4

what the speaker is DOING when performing the sentence: i.e. threatening, commanding?

Question 5

what is a perlocution

Answer 5

the result of the loction= hearers reaction

Question 6

what are performatives

Answer 6

verbs that both state and perform the illocution: “i promise to compe back early”

• -> i/we subjet
• > simple present
• -> action verb under control of speaker

Question 7

what are the 6 types of illocutionary acts

Answer 7

1. Assertion
2. Question
3. Order
4. Request
5. Promise
6. Advice

Question 8

what are felicity conditions

Answer 8

govern the success of a speech act depending on:

• appropriate procedure
• appropriate participants/circumstances
• complete execution
• appropiate feelings/thoughts

Question 9

examples of felicity conditions

Answer 9

UNIVERSITY= confer degree
CHURCH= marries people
BUISSNESS= hires and fires

Question 10

what did searle do

Answer 10

extended speech act theory:

placed illocutionary acts into 6 categories describtion the relation of the words to the world

Question 11

Searle’s speech act categories

Answer 11

1. REPRESENTATIVE
2. DIRECTIVE
3. COMMISIVE
4. ROGATIVE
5. EXPRESSIVE
6. DECLARATIVE

Question 12

Representative speech act

Answer 12

truthful sentence; declarative

word fit outside world

speaker responsible

‘tom is eating pie’

Question 13

Directive speech act

Answer 13

commands/advice; imperative

worlds WILL fit word

hearer responsible

“Close the door!”

Question 14

Commissive speech act

Answer 14

future action commitment (promises/oaths): declarative

world WILL fit words

speaker resonpsible

speaker in future tense; “i PROMISE I WILL do that”

Question 15

Rogative speech act

Answer 15

request for information; interrogative
words will fit world

hearer responsible

‘where did she go?’

Question 16

Expressive speech act

Answer 16

Attitudes/emotions such as thanks or excuses: declarative

words fit world physcologically

speaker responsible

“i’m sorry to hear that”

Question 17

Declarative speech act

Answer 17

change reality; i.e. declaring war or baptisizing;
declarative

words change the world

speaker responsible (speaker is subject and present tense word)

‘we find him guilty’

Question 18

in which speech acts is the hearer responsible

Answer 18

rogatives (has to give information) and directive (has to follow directions)

Question 19

in which speech acts do the words fit the world

Answer 19

expressive
representative
rogative

Question 20

in which speech acts does/will the world fit the words

Answer 20

commisives

directives

Question 21

in which speech act does the word change the world

Answer 21

decllarative

Question 22

2 general types of speech acts

Answer 22

direct and indirect

Question 23

direct speech acts

Answer 23

direction relationship between linguistic structure and action

Question 24

indirect speech acts

Answer 24

speech act performed indirectly by the performance of another:
i.e. “CAN YOU OPEN THE WINDOW?” is a rogative but indirectly fulfills DIRECTIVE speech act

Question 25

what is kinesis

Answer 25

the study of body language and communication in behaviour