Common Forms and Functions of Language

Informative Language Function

Three basic functions

Directive Language Function Expressive Language Function

Informative Language Function

-It

is the communication of information It affirms or denies proposition as in science This function is used to describe the world or reason about it. Sentences in the informative function have a truth value; hence they are important for knowledge

Expressive Language Function

Reports feelings or attitudes of the writer, of the subject, or evokes feelings in the reader.
Poetry is one of the best examples. Most of ordinary language discourse is the expression of emotions, feelings or attitudes.

Two main feelings are generally noted

To evoke certain feelings

To express feelings

When I say, "Friday afternoons are dreary," or yell "Ouch!" I am using language expressively. Although such uses don't convey any information, they do serve an important function in everyday life, since how we feel sometimes matters as much asor more than what we hold to be true.

Directive Language Function

The directive function is most commonly found in commands and requests

aim to cause or to prevent some overt action by a human agent. When I say "Shut the door," or write "Read the textbook," or memo myself, "Don't rely so heavily on the passive voice," I am using language directively. The point in each of these cases is to make someone perform (or forswear) a particular action..

Ceremonial Language
The ceremonial--(also ritual language use) probably something quite different from simply mixing the expressive and directive language functions because performative aspects are included as well. Example: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here together to witness the holy matrimony of ."

The problem with ceremonial language is that it can involve all three other categories at some level and can be very difficult to interpret properly. A priest using ritual phrases may be communicating information about the religious ritual, invoking predicted emotional reactions in religious adherents, and directing them to begin the next stage of the ritual all at once and with the same half dozen words. Ceremonial language cannot be understood literally, but neither can the literal meanings be ignored.

Performative utterances
language which performs the action it reports. For example, "I do" in the marriage ceremony and the use of performative verbs such as "accept," "apologize," "congratulate," and "promise." These words denote an action which is performed by using the verb in the first personnothing more need be done to accomplish the action.

Phatic language
"Elevator

talk" and street-corner conversations accomplishing a social task. "Phatic communication, or small talk, is an important social lubricant. In the words of Erving Goffman, 'The gestures which we sometimes call empty are perhaps in fact the fullest things of all.'" (Diana Boxer, Applying Sociolinguistics. John Benjamins, 2002)

"Phatic

communication refers also to trivial and obvious exchanges about the weather and time, made up of ready-made sentences or foreseeable statements. . . . Therefore this is a type of communication that establishes a contact without transmitting a precise content, where the container is more important then the content. (F. Casalegno and I.M. McWilliam, "Communication Dynamics in Technological Mediated Learning Environments." International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, Nov. 2004)

"'Nice weather we're having' is perfect, Leonard. It's a subject that lends itself to speculation about future weather, discussion of past weather. Something everyone knows about. It doesn't matter what you say, it's just a matter of keeping the ball rolling until you both feel comfortable. Eventually if they're at all interested you'll get through to them." (Phil in the one-act play Potholes by Gus Kaikkonen, 1984)

CONCEPT: Informative Language

Definition: Informative language includes utterances which are true or false. Example: "The planet Jupiter is larger than the Earth."

Procedure : To test for Informative, ask yourself, "Is the utterance true or false?"

CONCEPT: Expressive Language

Definition: Expressive language includes utterances in which a person expresses his or her approval or disapproval of something. Example: "I hate the smell of insect spray." Procedure: To test for Expressive, ask yourself . . . Can you tell whether the speaker approves or disapproves of something?

CONCEPT: Directive Language

Definition: Directive language includes utterances which tell a person to do something or not to do something. Example: "Close the door." Procedure : To test for Directive, ask yourself . . . Does the utterance tell someone to do something or not to do something?

Form

Form denotes how something looks; its shape or appearance and what its structure is. Forms of language mean the types of sentences. There are dangers of identifying form with function in the use of language. Much discourse serves all three functions--one cannot always identify the form with the function. Consider this chart for the following possibilities. But note that context often determines the purpose of an utterance. "The room is cool" might be used in different contexts as informative (an observation), expressive (how one feels at the moment), or directive (to turn on the heat).

Usual Function / Sentence Type assertion / declarative

Informative The room is cool.

Expressive I had a nice time.

Directive I would like some coffee.

question / interrogative

But isn't this room 222A?

Isn't that great?

Don't you want to help me?

command / imperative / Read pages 1-10 for the test.

Have a nice day.

Shut the windows.

exclamation / exclamatory

The universe is bounded!

I'm really glad! It's late