Exercises On Types of Speech Acts
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ScribdTranslationsExercises On Types of Speech Acts
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ScribdTranslations Indicate whether the following statements correspond to direct or indirect speech acts:
Would you come out for a moment?
I hope you leave.
Don't you have anything better to do outside?
In your case, I would leave.
Go away!
I think they're calling you.
I don't want you to stay here.
You need to go.
Please get out of my house.
I would like to be alone right now.
Indicate whether the following statements correspond to direct or indirect speech acts:
Would you come out for a moment?
I hope you leave.
Don't you have anything better to do outside?
In your case, I would leave.
Go away!
I think they're calling you.
I don't want you to stay here.
You need to go.
Please get out of my house.
I would like to be alone right now.
Types of speech acts
The function of verbs can be classified into different acts. In summary, we have summarized them
for you.
1) Assertives: their purpose is to represent a state of affairs as real. Verbs such as ser, estar,
hacer, describe, creer, etc. are used. I am in Santiago
2) Commitmental: its purpose is to commit the speaker to a future course of action. Verbs such as
promise, swear, assure, etc. are used. E.g.: “I promise you that I will never do it again.”
3) Directives: their purpose is to commit the listener to a future course of action, with verbs such as
invite or order. E.g.: I'm asking you out. I order you to wait!
4) Declarative: its purpose is to create a new situation. Verbs such as declare, baptize, etc. are
used. E.g.: I pronounce you husband and wife.
5) Expressive: they are used to express the speaker's feelings and attitudes, through verbs such
as congratulate, thank, etc. E.g.: I congratulate you on your promotion. I feel very good
To the extent that, for example, we can represent as real or express our feelings toward the same
state of affairs (saying "The cherry trees are in bloom" or exclaiming "The cherry trees are in
bloom!") two components can be distinguished in the illocutionary act: illocutionary force and
propositional content. So we will say 'The cherry trees are in bloom' and, 'The cherry trees are in
bloom!' They share the same propositional content and have different illocutionary forces (indicative
of the illocutionary objectives) (assertive and expressive, respectively).
There are acts with the same illocutionary force and content that differ in the degree of that force.
For example, ordered from strongest to weakest, I forbid you to miss > I order you to go > I ask you
to go > It would be good if you went >
PRAYER SPEECH ACT
Abelardo is the president assertive
Abelardo, I promise you that you will be president compromising
Abelardo, you have to be president executive
Abelardo, I name you president declarative
Abelardo is the president! expressive
The Macro Speech Act refers to the speech act that predominates in the format of a text or
expression. E.g.: Love- letter macro expressive speech act Contract- macro compromising speech
act Invitation- macro directive speech act, etc.
YO. Exercises:
Identify the speech act present in the following
1. I like you a lot
2. You must shut up!
3. It's a cloudy day
4. I swear before God and the flag
5. I baptize you as Gumercinda
6. Come to my party at Casa Piedra
7. I really appreciate it
8. I will leave tomorrow
9. I sentence him to 99 years and one day in
prison
10. Orange is a citrus fruit
II. Reading Comprehension
Speech acts are used in everyday conversations in communicative interactions that involve ethical,
logical and psychological factors and that make each statement an act with specific functions. For
example: Some words, not necessarily those that denote emotions, in an emotional context, are
appropriate to "vent" emotions, to express the feelings of the speaker or to provoke feelings in the
listener.
John Searle (1980) states that “there are certain paradigms of knowledge, and these paradigms are
considered to form the model of knowledge. Although paradigms vary greatly…”
His statement refers to the profuse way of constructing statements that in some way share certain
common characteristics, that is, that "the concepts that make up knowledge are essentially
physical, or physical and mental."
The above refers to systematic knowledge, which denotes empirical knowledge, but man in his
intercommunication, due to his human condition, "performs acts that transcend merely sensorial
experiences and permeate his linguistic acts with his emotive expressive world. According to
pragmatic theory, "speech acts" as human action have a purpose of which the speaking actor is not
necessarily aware.
Brunner says that "intentional action takes place, to a large extent, below the threshold of
consciousness, which we can communicate to others."
It is not claimed here that all "speech acts" are included in the ignorance of the communicative
"intention." Of these, there are those of an ethical nature that imply truth, the act of commitment,
requests, assertions that do not exempt the speaker from his full conscience when speaking.
1. What type of macro speech act does this text correspond to?
A) Expressive
B) Assertive
C) Compromise
D) Declarative
E) Manager
2) Which statement is true regarding the text?
TO) Speech acts have only an ethical connotation
B) Speech acts are conscious but they can also have an unconscious purpose.
C) Paradigms are linguistic knowledge
D) A and C
AND) All of the above
3) The phrase: “…paradigms vary greatly” is of the type:
a) assertive
b) expressive
c) compromising
d) declarative
e) emotional
4) In the sentence: “John Searle (1980) states that “there are certain paradigms of knowledge, and
these paradigms are considered to form the model of knowledge. Although paradigms vary
greatly…”, we find acts of this type:
I. Locutives
II. Illocutionary
III. Perlocutionary
a) Only I
b) Only II
c) Only II and III
d) I and II
e) I, II and III
5) When Brunner says that: “intentional action takes place, to a large extent, below the threshold of
consciousness, which we can communicate to others”, he means:
a) Linguistic experiences overcome paradigms
b) Speech acts arise at the unconscious level
c) Speech acts are often influenced by the speaker's emotionality.
d) Illocutionary force is equivalent to perlocutionary force
e) None of the above
6) Which of the following statements is FALSE?
a) The purpose of directive acts is to commit the listener to the course of a future action
b) Speech acts involve elocutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary actions.
c) The propositional content of the speech act depends on its illocutionary force.
d) The propositional content is the message that is delivered, at the content level, in the
sentence
e) Declarative values are used to create a new reality
7) Which of the following sentences represents a declarative act?
a) I don't want to go to the party
b) Well you must go
c) I don't know the owner of the house
d) I would be glad if you were
e) If you don't go, you'll be a "persona non grata" to me.
8) Which of the following sentences represents a compromising fact?
a) Come here
b) I'm coming
c) I assure you that I will hit you if you don't come.
d) Okay, okay, I'm coming.
e) But not for long.
9).- Write at least 3 examples for each discursive speech act that you have known so far.
SPEECH ACTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE SCENES
Let's analyze the following conversation:
- Teacher, I didn't finish the work.
- So...
- Can I give it to you next class?
- Yes, you can, just this once, but don't make it a habit. Because we know very well what happens
next: there are students – I'm not saying this for you, but I'm telling you so you know how things are –
there are students who start to accumulate unfinished work and when the end of the semester
approaches they have four or five unfinished projects and what happens? They add up their overdue
practical tests to the Sociology and Anthropology midterms, the Oral Expression midterms and the
Writing midterm. And that's when they really get into trouble. On the other hand, if you have your
work up to date, you have already solved a problem and it may even be an indicator that you will get
good results in the exam. That's why I tell you, if it's just this once...
- Yes, just this once, I swear, teacher. I don't know what's wrong with me today, I feel dazed and I have
a headache...
What is the overall speech act of this conversation? Is there one act or several?
What are the verbs that make up microacts?
Ask: Teacher, I didn't finish the work. Can I hand it in next class?
Grant: Yes, you
canWarn-threaten: ...but don't let it become a habit. Because we know very well...
Promise: I swear, teacher, just this
onceJustify – give excuses: I don't know what's wrong with me today, I feel dazed and I have a
headache...
Let's think.
If we reflect, we will notice that each of the participants in the dialogue shows a different force that
translates into the macroact or global act: One asks; the other grants.
On the one hand, to warn, to threaten. On the other hand, request, promise, justify, give excuses.
