TYPES OF

SPEECH ACT
(Di ko din alam kung ano to eh balakajan!)
 According to J. L. Austin (1962), a philosopher of language and
the developer of the Speech Act Theory, there are three types of
acts in every utterance, given the right circumstances or context.
Three Types of Speech Act
1.Locutionary act is the actual act of uttering.

“Please do the dishes.”

Three Types of Speech Act
2. Illocutionary act is the social function of what is said.

By uttering the locution “Please do the dishes,”

the speaker requests the addressee to wash the dishes.
Three Types of Speech Act
3. Perlocutionary act is the resulting act of what is said.
This effect is based on the particular
context in which the speech act was mentioned.

“Please do the dishes” would lead to the addressee

washing the dishes.
 There are also indirect speech acts which occur when there is
no direct connection between the form of the utterance and the
intended meaning.
“Can you pass the rice?”
Inferred speech act: Do you have the ability to hand over the rice?

Indirect speech act: Please pass the rice.

“Ang cuuuute cuuute cute moooo!”
Inferred speech act: You are having a pleasing and usually youthful appearance or
attractive in sexual way.

Indirect speech act: Tanga tanga mo naman be!

PERFORMATIVES
(Di bale last na to mga aports ko!)
 Austin also introduced the concept of performative
utterances: statements which enable the speaker to perform
something just by stating it.
“I now pronounce you
husband and wife,”
“I now pronounce you
husband and wife,”
“I now pronounce you
husband and wife,”
“I now pronounce you
husband and wife,”
“I now pronounce you
husband and wife,”
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
As a response to Austin’s Speech Act Theory, John Searle
(1976), a professor from the University of California,
Berkeley, classified illocutionary acts into five distinct
categories.
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
Assertive – a type of illocutionary act in which the speaker
expresses belief about the truth of a proposition. Some
examples of an assertive act are suggesting, putting
forward, swearing, boasting, and concluding.
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
Ex:
No one makes better pancakes than I do.
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
Directive – a type of illocutionary act in which the speaker
tries to make the addressee perform an action. Some
examples of a directive act are asking, ordering, requesting,
inviting, advising, and begging.
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
Ex:
Please close the door.
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
Commissive – a type of illocutionary act which commits
the speaker to doing something in the future. Examples of a
commissive act are promising, planning, vowing, and
betting.
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
Ex:
From now on, I will participate in our group activity.
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
Expressive – a type of illocutionary act in which the
speaker expresses his/her feelings or emotional reactions.
Some examples of an expressive act are thanking,
apologizing, welcoming, and deploring.
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
Ex:
I am so sorry for not helping out in our group projects
and letting you do all the work.
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
Declaration – a type of illocutionary act which brings a
change in the external situation. Simply put, declarations
bring into existence or cause the state of affairs which they
refer to. Some examples of declarations are blessing, firing,
baptizing, bidding, passing a sentence, and
excommunicating.
Searle’s Classifications of Speech Act
Ex:
You are fired!
By saying that someone is fired, an employer causes or
brings about the person’s unemployment, thus changing his
external situation