Chapter 11
Information Structuring and Speech Acts
Exercise 11.4Speech Acts
For each of the following speech acts, indicate (i) the type of speech act, (ii) its sincerity condition (expressed psychological state), and (iii) the direction of fit.
| Example: | I’ll help you with your paper tomorrow. | |
| Answer: |
i. |
commissive |
|
ii. |
intention |
|
|
iii. |
world-to-word |
|
I will turn my paper in on Friday. (said by student to instructor)
May I have an extension on the due date for my paper? (asked by student of instructor)
I assign this paper a grade of A. (said by the instructor)
The teacher is supposed to return our papers today.
Ruth's essay is the best in the class. (said by the instructor)
I will give you until Monday to turn in your papers. (said by the instructor)
You passed the course. (said by the instructor to the student)
I regret that you failed the exam. (said by the instructor to the student)
Your paper was handed in too late to be considered. (said by the instructor to the student)
Your papers are due on Friday. (said by the instructor to the students)
Congratulations on passing the course. (said by the instructor to the student)
Your papers will be marked down for each day that they are late. (said by the instructor to the students)
If you don’t start on your papers early, you won’t have enough time. (said by the instructor to the students).
Which speech acts in (1) contain a performative verb?
Give the preparatory condition for (1b).
Give the preparatory condition for (1d).
Give the preparatory condition for (1j).
Give the nonobvious condition for (1f).
Give the nonobvious condition for (1c).
Give the essential condition for (1h).
Give the essential condition for (1m).
Give the propositional content condition for (1l).
Many English verbs can be used to perform several different speech acts. For each of the following verbs, determine the different speech acts each expresses. Note any special appropriateness conditions which apply.
agree
urge
curse
swear
applaud
grant
conclude
guarantee
adopt
commissive
intention
world-to-word
directive
wish, desire
world-to-word
verdictive-declarative
belief
word-to-world and world-to-word
(The instructor is judging this to be an A paper, but by virtue of doing so, it becomes an A paper.)
representative
belief
world-to-world
verdictive
belief
world-to-world
commissive-directive
intention and desire/wish
world-to-word
(The instructor is committing himself/herself to accepting the papers on Monday, but is also directing the students to get them in on Monday.)
declarative
Ø
both world-to-word and word-to-world
expressive
regret
Ø
representative-declarative
belief
word-to-world and world-to-word
(The instructor is expressing his/her belief that the paper is too late, but by virtue of doing so the paper is also too late to be considered.)
directive
wish/desire
world-to-word
expressive
congratulations
Ø
(This may, at the same time, be a declarative if the student does not already know that he or she has passed the course.)
commissive
intention
world-to-word
representative
belief
world-to-word
(1c) and (1h)
Sp believes H is able to grant the extension.
Sp has evidence to believe that the teacher will hand the papers back that day.
Sp expresses the belief that Hs are able to hand their papers in on Friday. (The extent to which the Sp truly believes this is problematical in this case.)
It is not obvious that in the normal course of affairs that Sp will offer an extension until Monday or H will hand paper in by Friday.
It is not obvious that H knows (or does not need to be told) that paper is an A paper; without utterance (or some other act, such as the writing of “A” on the paper), it is not the case that the paper is an A paper.
The speech act counts as an expression of regret (however sincere or insincere).
The speech act counts as a statement to the effect that not starting early enough is not in H's best interests.
A future, voluntary action of Sp (marking papers down).
agree to do something – commissive
agree to terms – declarative
agree that something is the case – representative appropriateness conditions: relation to discourse, has to be something to agree with
urge someone to do something – directive
appropriateness conditions: in between an order and advice in strength; Sp and H are equal rank; when Sp superior to H, speech act has more force
express a wish that some misfortune befall another – expressive (expression of ill will)
recite formula or charm intended to cause misfortune – declarative
appropriateness conditions: must be to H's detriment; may or may not be to Sp's advantage; may require extralinguistic institution, supernatural or magical (priest or shaman)
swear that something is the case – representative
swear to do something – commissive
appropriateness conditions: forceful, stronger than a promise; solemn or formal style
express approval or commend – expressive
appropriateness conditions: quite forceful
grant that something is the case – representative
appropriateness conditions: relation to discourse, Sp not previously believed or thought so
grant property – declarative
appropriateness conditions: extralinguistic institution (legal system)
grant permission – directive
appropriateness conditions: Sp superior to H; Sp doesn’t really care whether H does action; revoking of previous negative command
conclude that something is the case – representative
appropriateness conditions: relation to discourse, end
conclude a speech, game, etc. – declarative
appropriateness conditions: may require extra-linguistic institution
conclude to do something – commissive
appropriateness conditions: said to oneself?
guarantee to do something – commissive
appropriateness conditions: forceful
guarantee something – declarative
appropriateness conditions: may require extralinguistic institution
guarantee that something is the case – representative
adopt a name, a child – declarative
appropriateness conditions: may require extralinguistic institution