DO AS I SAY

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 What do you expect
others to do when you
tell them to do
something?
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 What, ultimately, do
you want them to do?

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We expect them
to…
do the things
that we told them to
do!
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 ?
What we say can be used to perform an action!

Speech
i s a
h a t
W

 an

Act
utterance that
can be used to
perform an act

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Utteran
ce
 anoral or written
statement or
speech

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 TO RY!
H I S
“Sentences
Philosophers:

are used
to say
things.” ruthannedeleon@g
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7
 O RY! John
H IST
Austin
• British philosopher
• Delivered lectures re:
“How to do Things with
Words” (1955)
• Developer of the
speech act theory
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“ In uttering a sentence,
we can do things
as well as say things.

John
Austin
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“ In uttering a sentence,
we can do things
as well as say things.
An utterance
can be used John
to perform an
act. Austin ruthannedeleon@g 1
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 Types of

Acts
Locutionary
 Illocutionary
 Perlocutionar
y ruthannedeleon@g 1
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 Locutionary

A c t
uttering or saying a
sentence from a
language ruthannedeleon@g 1
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“Take your feet off
the table.”

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 Perlocutionary
Act
 the
resulting
act of what is
said ruthannedeleon@g 1
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“Take your feet off the
table” would lead to
the addressee taking
their feet off the
table.
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 Il l o c u t i o n a r y
 what the
A c t
speaker does in
uttering a
sentence ruthannedeleon@g 1
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“Take your feet off the
table.”
•The illocutionary act is
ordering.
•The illocutionary force of
the utterance is an order.
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 Illocutionary
Act
 John Searle (1976) pointed
out that there is a
seemingly endless
number of illocutionary
acts.
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 s s ifi cat io n
Cla
c
of
u t i o n a r
Il lo


yA c
Assertive
t s  Expressive
 Directive  Declaration

 Commissive

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 s s er t i v e
A
 Stating: I am a person.
 Asserting: I am the rightful heir.
 Denying: I did not steal.
 Confessing: I confess to the mistakes of
the past.
 Notifying: I put the note on your table.
 Suggesting: It would be better to do this.
 Concluding: All men will just play you.
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
What is
Assertive
an utterance where the
speaker expresses
belief about the truth of
a proposition
? ruthannedeleon@g 2
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Di rec t i v

e
Ordering: Shut the door.
 Requesting: May I get an enrollment
form?
 Forbidding: Don’t go near that man.
 Warning: I will tell him if you do that.
 Advising/Suggesting/Recommending

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
What is a
Directive
an utterance used
to try to get the
hearer to do
something
? ruthannedeleon@g 2
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 m m i s s i
Co

ve
Promising: I promise not to be late.
 Vowing: In sickness and in health, I will cherish
you…
 Volunteering: I volunteer as tribute!
 Offering: Lord, I offer my life to You.
 Guaranteeing/Pledging/Betting

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
Commissiv
What is a

e
an utterance used
to commit the
speaker to do
something
? ruthannedeleon@g 2
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Ex pre s s i

ve
Apologizing: I am sorry for the inconvenience.
 Thanking: I am eternally grateful to you.
 Congratulating: Congratulations to the Lady
Eagles!
 Condoling: My deepest condolences to you.
 Objecting: I do not agree.

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
What is an
Expressive
an utterance used
to express the
emotional state of
the speaker
? ruthannedeleon@g 2
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 c l a r a t i
De

on
Appointing: You are now the team captain.
 Naming: I name this cat Faith Malou.
 Resigning: Sir, I am tending my resignation now.
 Baptizing: In the Name of the Lord, this child shall be...
 Surrendering: I, Pedro Penduko, surrender to the City Police.
 Excommunicating: You are excommunicated from the Catholic
Church.
 Arresting: You are under arrest!

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
What is a
Declaration
an utterance used
to change the status
of some entity
? ruthannedeleon@g 2
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Task:
Classifying the
Utterances ruthannedeleon@g
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 Instructions
Identify the
classification of
the speech act
(illocutionary) in
each utterance.
 1

This calls
for a
celebratio
 1

expressive
Expresses emotional state
 2

I shall
return.
 2

commissiv
e
Commits the speaker to do
something
 3

You should only

subscribe to
the most
reliable news
 3

directiv
e
Commits the
addressee/receiver to do
something
 4

I am
overwhelmed
with the
support that I
 4

expressi
ve
Expresses emotional state
 5

This
semester, I
will give my
 5

commissi
ve
Commits the speaker to do
something
 6
Please educate
yourself about the
COVID19 to
prevent yourself
from being racist
 6

directive
Commits the
addressee/receiver to do
something
 7
You are now the
newest member of
the Knights of the
Round Table,
Lancelot.
 7

declarati
on
Changes the status of some
entity
 8
With the power
vested upon me, I
now pronounce
you graduates.
 8

declaratio
n
Changes the status of some
entity
 9

My King, my
only God, I will
serve you until
my last breath.
 9

commissi
ve
Commits the speaker to do
something
 10

Batangueños
make the
best local
 10

assertive
the speaker expresses
belief about the truth of a
proposition
 What should we be
careful about using
the different speech
acts?
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
What is
Assertive
?
an utterance where the
speaker expresses belief
about the truth of a
proposition
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
What is a
Directive
?
an utterance used to try
to get the hearer to do
something
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
Commissiv
What is a

e ?
an utterance used to
commit the speaker to
do something
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
What is an
Expressive
?
an utterance used to
express the emotional
state of the speaker
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
What is a
Declaration
?
an utterance used to
change the status of
some entity
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Task:
Accomplishing a Table
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 Instructions

Complete the table with

information related to
Searle’s Classification of
Speech Acts.
 Instructions
Classification Specific Example
of Speech Act Situation
Directive Chris is “I’ll get a value
ordering a meal A. Kindly
meal in a upsize my
restaurant. drinks and
fries.”
 Instructions

Write your output on a ½

sheet of paper (name,
grade and section, and
date)
 Instructions

Fifteen minutes will be

given to you to
accomplish such task.
Task:
Skit
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 Instructions

Form a group with 5 or

6 members.
 Instructions

Bring out your outputs

from the previous task
and share them with
one another.
 Instructions

Turn the outputs into a

five-minute skit.
Practice for 10
minutes.
 Instructions

Each group will

perform their outputs
and will be graded
through a rubric.