SPEECH

ACTS
TOPICS COVERED
TYPES OF SPEECH ACTS

CLASSIFICATIONS OF SPEECH ACTS

WHAT ARE SPEECH ACTS?

Speech Acts are speakers’

utterances which convey
meaning and make listeners
to do specific things.
EXAMPLE:

Thank you for

Thanks! always being
there for me.
JL AUSTIN
Formulated the Speech Act
Theory in 1962. According to Jl
Austin, there are three parts to a
Speech act:

1. Locution Act
2. Illocution Act
3. Perlocution Act
Locution Act
• The utterances we use,
which are literal meaning.
• Locution is the phrase or
sentence that has meaning
(vocabulary) and structure
(grammar).
Illocution Acts
• The intention that a speaker has
or the effect that the utterance
has on hearers. They are often
used to perform certain action
and must be performed on
purpose.
• Social function of what is said.
Perlocution Acts
• The results or effects
produced by means of
speaker’s illocution
acts.
• Resulting acts of what
is said.
 “PLEASE DO THE DISHES!”

Locution Act Illocution Act Perlocution Act

Speaker
Saying of requests Receiver
the the receiver washing
words. to wash the the dishes.
dishes.
CLASSIFICATIONS
OF SPEECH ACTS
Speech acts simply mean doing with words.
Its main principle states that “saying is (part
of) doing, or words are (part of) deeds.”
Speech acts are grouped according to different
functions such as suggesting, putting an idea
forward, boasting, concluding, and others.

There are 5 classifications of speech act

which are mentioned by
Searle: representative, directive, commissive,
expressive,
and declarative.
 Expressive
Speech acts that express the speaker’s
attitudes and
emotions towards the proposition (e.g.
congratulating,
making excuse, giving thanks,
apologizing, complaining, welcoming,
deploring)

Example:
“I’m sorry that I lied to you.”
 Commissive
Speech acts that commit a speaker to some
future
action. (e.g. promises, oaths, threats, vowing,
planning, betting, opposing)

Example:
“I’m going to Palawan tomorrow”
 Directive
Speech acts that are to cause the hearer to
take a
particular action (e.g. requesting,
commanding, advising, visiting, and
begging)

Example:
“Could you close the window?”
 Declarative
Speech acts that change the reality in accord with the
proposition of the declaration (e.g. baptisms, pronouncing
someome guilty, pronouncing someone husband and wife.

Examples:
“You are fired!”
“I swear”
“I beg you”
“I promise to pay you later”
“I now pronounce you husband and wife”
 Representative (Assertive)
Speech acts that commit a speaker to the truth
of the
expressed proposition (e.g. asserting, claiming,
concluding,
reporting, stating)

Example:
“No one makes a better cake than me.”
 THANK YOU
FOR LISTENING!