CHAPTER 2- EXERCISES

LIP

John: "Darling, do you want to go out to the show tonight?"

Laura: "I'm feeling ill."

John: "That's ok. You stay there and I'll make soup."
Notice how Laura didn't respond to John's question by saying, "No, I don't want to go out to the show
tonight." What she actually said her locutionary act was "I'm feeling ill."

An illocutionary act is what a person does in saying something else. Locution is speech. In-locution
(in speaking) becomes il-locution through phonetic assimilation. In saying that she feels ill, Laura
was telling John that she doesn't want go out.

Beyond communicating the state of her health and the answer to John's question, Laura
accomplished one more thing through saying "I'm feeling ill." She got John to make her some soup.
A perlocutionary act (per-locutionary, through speaking) is focused on the response others have to
a speech act.

Exercise

1. The bus wont move until your boys move in out of the doorway.

+ Locutionary act: The driver is saying she wont move the bus with people
standing in the doorway.

+ Illocutionary act: An order to clear the doorway.

+ Perlocutionary act: The boys move out of the doorway.

2. Its hot in here.

+ Locutionary act: The woman performed the act of saying it is hot (referring to the
temperature.

+ Illocutionary act: Request (Turn on the fan)/ Complaint.

+ Perlocutionary act: Someone turned on the fan.

3. May I borrow your laptop?

+ Locutionary act: The man performed the act of saying if he could borrow my
laptop.

+ Illocutionary act: Polite request.

+ Perlocutionary act: Whether I give it to him or not.

4. You are fired.

+ Locutionary act: The boss performed the act of saying that the employee is fired.

+ Illocutionary act: Complaint (you have done your job badly)/ order (get out of the
company)

+ Perlocutionary act: The employee leaves the company or not.

Direct and Indirect speech act

1. The syntactic form (sentence type) corresponds with language function+ when
what you mean exactly what you say.

Can you swim? => D

I order you to live => D

2. The syntactic form (sentence type) does not correspond with language function +
when what you mean is different from the literal meaning of what is said.

Can you pass me the salt? I (both)

Exercises:

1. I am sorry that I cant come to the phone at the moment. Declarative- Apology
=> D

2. Please leave the message after the tone => Imperative- request- D

3. Well get back to you. Declarative- promise- D

4. Could you give me a call? Interrogative- request- I

5. Give me a call- Imperative- request- D

6. This is 94571769. Declarative- Giving information- D

I cant answer the phone right now. Declarative- apology- I

Please leave a message after the tone. Imperative- Request- D

7. Its me again. Declarative- Stating the fact- D

I am trying to organize the barbecue for Johns birthday on Saturday. Declarative-
Announcing an intention- D

Can you give me a call? Interrogative- request- I

Let me know if youll be coming. Imperative- request- D

8. Who want to share why A is important?

Me me!

Ok.

Oh, no one.:))

Misunderstand the indirect speech as: Interrogative- Request/ Suggestion

(ask someone to share their opinion) into asking if there is anyone who can
answer this question.

9. On the car, you didnt wear your seat bell. Your friend said: Do you have money
to pay the fine?

=> Interrogative- Sarcasm remark- Indirect.

10. While my friend is driving, I text him. He replied: I am driving

=> D: stating the fact that he is driving.

I: Command: I am driving. Call me later.

11. Can I take your order?: Interrogative- Offer- Indirect

12. Are you going to leave the door open? Interrogative- Order- I

13. My pen isnt working- Declarative- Request- I

14. Clean your desk by the end of the day- Declarative- Firing- I

15. How beautiful you look today! Exclamative- Express feelings (praising)- D

16. You didnt study last night? Declarative- Inquiring- I

17. I quit- Declarative- quitting- Direct

A. Identifying Illocutionary Acts

A friend says to another friend, Why dont you like to ski?

Suggestion: Lets go skiing. (Directives)

Question

A fathers says to his child, Why dont you spend less time watching TV?

Order: Dont watch TV too much (Directives)

A child says to her playmate, Yippeecookies!!.

Request: Give me some cookies (directives)

Expressive

A doctor says to a patient, I advise you to stop smoking.

Directives

One secretary says to another, My daughters getting married in August.

representatives
Reminding
Suggestion/ Invitation (Derectives)

A priest says over an infant, I baptize you in the name of . . .

Naming (Declaration)

A mother says to her daughter, Who washed the dishes?

Question

A passerby says to a motorist with a flat tire, Let me help you with that.

Offering (Commisive)

A woman says to someone next to her at the grocery store, Its going to be a very
windy day.

Predicting (Representative)

A police officer says to a young man who was speeding, Youre under arrest

Declaration

A coach says to a team member, Way to go!

Congratulating/ Complimenting (Expressives)

A teenage boy says to another teenage boy, Go aheadMake me!

 Threatening (COmmisives)

An umpire says, Strike Three!

Declaration

One friend says to another, I swear I wont see Martha again.

Swearing (Commissives)

A parent says to her child, I forbid you to leave your room.

Forbidding (directive)

A man says to a friend, What time is it?

Asking for information (Question)

A buyer says to a seller, I agree with your terms

Commissives

A judge says to a happy couple, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

-=> Declaration

Utterance (Locutionary Syntactic Form Illocutionary Act

Act) (Intention)

You might give me a hand
with this.
Declarative Declarative Directive Request- Asking for
help
*note: a declarative is different
than a declaration. A declarative
is a simple statement of fact, while
a declaration is the illocutionary act
of changing the status of
something.

And you are . . . Declarative Declarative Directive Request-

Introducing yourself

Could you keep quiet? Yes-No Question Directive Request/ Order

Interrogative

Im sorry to hear about your Declarative Declarative Expressive Condolence

loss.
If I dont get an A in this Declarative Declarative Directive
course, Ill lose my
scholarship [said by a failing
student to her teacher]

Can I give you a hand with Yes-No Question Commissive Offer

that? Interrogative

You can give me a hand with Declarative Declarative Directive Request

this

Why dont you give me a Question Interrogative Directive Suggestion

hand with this?