A speech act is the kind of action performed by an utterance.
Kinds of Speech Acts
- Assertion: Conveys information.
- Question: Requests information.
- Request: Elicits action.
- Order: Demands action.
- Promise: Commits the speaker to an action.
- Threat: Commits the speaker to an action that the listener does not want.
Sentence Types
| Sentence Type | Default Speech Act | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Declarative | Assertion | Bob is cooking the chicken. |
| Interrogative | Question | Is Bob cooking chicken? |
| Imperative | Request or Order | Cook the chicken! |
Performative Speech Act
A performative speech act is a speech act in which the action named by the verb is accomplished by the speech act itself.
I ask again: Who ate the cookies?,I order you to sit down and be quiet.,I bet you five bucks that the Rams beat the Saints
Direct and Indirect Speech Acts
Direct speech Act
Uses its default sentence type, or it is using a performative verb.
Did John marry Helen?,I'm asking you whether John married Helen.
Indirect Speech Act
Uses a non-default sentence type, and it doesn’t have a performative verb.
I don't know whether John married Helen.,Do you know whether John married Helen?,I would like to know whether John married Helen.