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SPEECH ACTS

1.INTRODUCTION
In this essay we will focus on clause types and speech acts. Before doing this essay, I
had never heard about speech acts and illocutionary and direct illocutionary acts, so I
think is a very good opportunity to improve my knowledge about these terms.
The essay will have three different parts. Firstly I will focus on theoretical section,
where I am going to explain what clase types and speech acts are, where I am going to
give a few examples for a better comprehension.
Below I will write a conclusion about this essay and after thar the bibliography about
the sources of information that I have used.
2.THEORETICAL PART
In the first section, the theoretical part, I will include the clause types and some
examples that will be discussed.
As we know, a clause type can be divided into four different groups:
-declarative Clauses: these clauses are used to convey information or to make
statements. The declarative clause has also some illocutionary forces, as in the
following examples:

Statements: She plays the guitar since 1990


Explicit performative: I would like to say you the truth
Yes/ No questions: Are you my new English teacher?
Exclamation: It was a pleasure to meet you!
Directives, such as commands: I have to be there in 15 minutes. Hurry up!
Request: I was wondering if you could give me 20 euros for the play
Advice: Id call her if I were you
Wondering: Be careful with the dog!
Offer: Have a sit, please

In the Requests example I was wondering if you could give me 20 euros for the
play, we have a case of indirect illocutionary act, because the answer for that
action could be Yes or could be Yes, take 20 euros for the play.
-Interrogative clauses: these clauses are used to make questions. They are sentences
of inquiring that ask for a reply. The illocutionary forces from the interrogative
clauses are the following ones:

Questions: Could you pass me the salt, please?


Demanding something: Why dont you come to the party last night?
Excalmation: Isnt it cute!

In the Questions example: Could you pass me the salt, please? we have another
case of indirect illocutionary act, because we could have two answers, Yes, or
Yes, take the salt for you.

-Imperative clauses: These clauses are used to make directives and statements,
mainly imperative clauses can express commands, requests or wishes ideas.
Imperative clauses have some illocutionary forces:

Directives, such as commands: Hurry up!


Requests: Let me know!
Offers: Sit next to me!
Warnings: Stay away from the dog!
Instructions: Turn the page
Statements: Have fun in your birthday party

-Exclamative clauses: these clauses are used to make exclamations. They are also
formally distinguishable from the other clause types because they have on initial
exclamative phrase with the exclamative pronoun what and how. The exclamative
clause has the following illocutionary force:

Exclamation: How nice you look


What a wonderful day!

Besides, according to Speech Acts, Cambridge Grammar of English, the term of


Speech Acts refers to what the speakers is doing in uttering in a particular form of
words. They are concerned with the speakers intention rather than the content- meaning
of the utterance (Speech Acts. 2000: 680)
Furthermore, we can divide Speech Acts in five types:

Constatives: where the speaker intends to make the hearer in particular way.
Commisives: where the speaker commits to a course of an action.
Expressives; where the speaker expresses some attitudes.
Declarations: where the speaker performs the speech act by making the
utterance.

By the same taken, we should talk about illocutionary acts. Based on Indirect
Speech Acts, by John R Searle, from the University of California, these acts
onvolve issues such as the nature of the statements and the way what sentences
mean to relate to what the speakers what to mean when they utter sentences ( John
R Searle, 2007: 7)
Illocutionary acts can be divided in Direct illocutionary or Indirect illocutionary
acts: When a syntactic mood typoe is used to carry out the illocutionary act
typically associated with it, it is considered has any other but it is typical
illocutionary force, we consider it as an indirect illocutionary act (A. Docining P
Locke, 2002: 166)

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