Would you like half

No, thanks. I’m full.

of my lobster?
It’s huge.

Mary John

Bill
 WHAT HAPPENED?

Bill said something (“Would you like half of my

lobster?”) to John
Bill spoke a meaningful utterance in a
language
What Bill said asked a question (syntax)

What Bill said had some meaning associated with

the words in the utterance, e.g., “you” referred to
John; “lobster” referred to the food on Bill’s plate
1.What did Bill do?
2.What was John’s response to Bill’s offer?
3.Why did John not accept Bill’s offer?
4.What did John say despite his rejection to the
offer?
5.If you were John, how would you feel that you
are being offered the lobster?
6.If you were Mary, what would you feel that
you are not given the offer instead?
More things happened

• Bill offered John some of his lobster

• John rejected the offer
• John gave a reason for rejecting the offer
• John expressed his gratitude for the offer
• Bill’s offer had the effect of John’s feeling like
Bill likes him
• Bill’s offer had the effect of Mary’s feeling left
out
•
SPEECH ACT THEORY
BY J. L. AUSTIN
(1962)
To speak is to act
SPEECH
ACTS
• Speech acts are the speaker’s
utterances which convey meaning and
make listeners do specific things
(Austin, 1962).
TYPES OF SPEECH ACTS

1. LOCUTION
1.
LOCUTION
• is the basic act of utterance, or
producing a meaningful linguistic
expressions.
• Austin defines it "as belonging to a
certain vocabulary...and as
conforming to a certain
grammar,...with a certain more or
less definite sense and reference"
TYPES OF SPEECH ACTS

2. ILLOCUTION
2. ILLOCUTION

• The social function of what is said or the

speaker’s communicative intention in
making an utterance like:
• stating an opinion, confirming, or
denying something
• making a prediction, a promise, a
request
• issuing an order or a decision
• giving an advice or permission
EXAMPLES:
• “There’s too much homework in this
subject.” (opinion)
• “I’ll do my homework later.”
(promise)
• “Go do your homework!” (order)
SEARLE’S
CLASSIFICATION OF
ILLOCUTIONARY SPEECH ACTS
 ASSERTIVE
The speaker expresses belief
about the truth of a proposition.

suggesting, putting forward,

swearing, boasting, and concluding
EXAMPLES:
No one makes better pancakes
than I do.

Filipinos are the happiest people in

the world.
 DIRECTIVE
The speaker tries to make the
addressee perform an action.

asking, ordering, requesting,

inviting, advising, and begging
EXAMPLES:
Please close the door.

You should go to a doctor.

 COMMISSIVE
Commits the speaker to doing
something in the future.

promising, planning, vowing, and

betting
EXAMPLES:
From now on, I will participate
in our group activity.
I assure you, I will help you with
your problem.
 EXPRESSIVE
The speaker expresses his/her
feelings or emotional reactions.

thanking, apologizing, welcoming,

and complaining
EXAMPLES:
I am so sorry for not helping out in
our group projects and letting you
do all the work.
Our internet connection is so slow.
 DECLARATION
Brings a change in the external
situation.
blessing, firing, baptizing, bidding,
passing a sentence, and
excommunicating
 EXAMPLE:
You are fired!
As president of the republic of the
Philippines, I put the country under a state
of emergency.
TYPES OF SPEECH ACTS

3. PERLOCUTION
3.
PERLOCUTION
• The resulting act of what is said.
• Its aim is to change feelings, thoughts,
or actions
EXAMPLES:

• “I was born a Filipino, I will live a

Filipino, I will die a Filipino!”
(inspiring)
• “Texting while driving kills – you,
your loved ones, other people!”
(deterring)
A speech act has 3 aspects:
locution = physical utterance by the speaker
illocution = the intended meaning of the utterance by the
speaker (performative)
perlocution = the action that results from the locution

Alice told Tom: "Would you please close the

door“
1.An umpire says, “Strike three!”
2.A parent says to her child, “I forbid you to
leave your room.”
3.A woman says to someone next to her at the
grocery store, “It’s going to be a very windy
day.”
4.A child says to her playmate, “Yippee!
Cookies!”
5.A doctor says to a patient, “I advise you to
stop smoking.”