Indirect speech acts

Question

Hey guys! I'm having a real tough time with understanding some of these examples my teacher is giving me.

A) I could help you look for your paper in the garbage before they come to collect the garbage.
What is the direct form of this sentence using a performative verb?
what is the type of direc speech act? for this i think it is commissive
what is the expressed psych state or sincerity condition? I think it might be "Sp intends to help H find something"

B) you didn't clean up the garbage as we'd agreed
What is the direct form of this sentence using a performative verb?
what is the type of direc speech act? my guess is representitive

what is the expressed psych state or sincerity condition?

C) What made you put those papers in the garbage can in the 1st place?
What is the direct form of this sentence using a performative verb?
what is the type of direc speech act? My guess is representitive again

what is the expressed psych state or sincerity condition?

D) I think itwas a honest misinterpretation
What is the direct form of this sentence using a performative verb?
what is the type of direc speech act? Expressive maybe or Declarative

what is the expressed psych state or sincerity condition?

E) I am very sorry that I mistook your papers for garbage
What is the direct form of this sentence using a performative verb?
what is the type of direc speech act? Pretty sure this is expressive

what is the expressed psych state or sincerity condition?

Kooyeen · Accepted Answer

Hi,
I have to admit I have no idea what you are asking about, LOL, and I am curious to see if somebody else will understand or not. Direct speech act? Commissive? Psychological state?

Sounds like paranormal grammar, lol.

Sorry, but wait for someone else... They might be able to help you.

CalifJim · Answer

KooyeenI have to admit I have no idea what you are asking about

Here are some definitions from Semantics, A Coursebook, by Hurford and Heasley (Cambridge University Press, 1983). Take a look. Then you can answer the poster's questions.

performative - A performative utterance is one that actually describes the act that it performs, i.e., it performs some act and simultaneously describes that act. Example: "I promise to repay you tomorrow" is performative because in saying it the speaker actually does what the utterance describes, i.e. he promises to repay the hearer the next day. This is, the utterance both describes and is a promise.
Other examples: "I warn you not to come any closer", "I admit I took two cookies from the cookie jar". (All first person present tense.)

illocutionary act (speech act) - an utterance viewed in terms of its significance within a conventional system of social interaction. Illocutions (speech acts) are defined by social conventions and include accusing, admitting, complaining, congratulating, protesting, thanking, ...

direct speech act (direct illocution) - the speech act most directly indicated by a literal meaning of the grammatical form and vocabulary of the sentence uttered.

indirect speech act (indirect illocution) - any further illocution the utterance may have.

Example: "Can you pass the salt?"
Direct speech act: an inquiry about the hearer's ability to pass the salt.
Indirect speech act: a request that the hearer pass the salt.

directive - A directive is any speech act that involves the speaker trying to get the hearer to behave in some required way. Examples: ordering, suggesting. Non-examples: apologizing, promising.

commissive - A commissive is any speech act that involves the speaker committing himself to behave in some required way. Examples: promising, swearing (in court). Non-examples: ordering, thanking.

sincerity condition - A sincerity condition on an illocutionary act is a condition that must be fulfilled if the act is said to be carried out sincerely, but failure to meet such a condition does not prevent the carrying out of the act altogether. Example: A sincerity condition on apologizing is that the apologizer believes that the thing apologized for is wrong in some way.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

A) I could help you look for your paper in the garbage before they come to collect the garbage.
What is the direct form of this sentence using a performative verb?
what is the type of direc speech act? for this i think it is commissive That sounds more like the indirect speech act. The direct act is just a statement of the ability to do something. Is that what you call "representative"? "Declarative" seems to be a possibility; it depends on the terminology you're using in your course. The indirect speech act is "offering", which is commissive.

what is the expressed psych state or sincerity condition? I think it might be "Sp intends to help H find something" I think that's a reasonable answer.

B) you didn't clean up the garbage as we'd agreed
What is the direct form of this sentence using a performative verb?
what is the type of direc speech act? my guess is representitive If representative means just a statement, yes.

what is the expressed psych state or sincerity condition?

C) What made you put those papers in the garbage can in the 1st place?
What is the direct form of this sentence using a performative verb?
what is the type of direc speech act? My guess is representitive again I'd say that the direct act was a question, an interrogative. I believe the indirect speech act is "accusing", or "scolding", because it's saying, indirectly, "You should not have ...".

what is the expressed psych state or sincerity condition?

D) I think itwas a honest misinterpretation
What is the direct form of this sentence using a performative verb?
what is the type of direc speech act? Expressive maybe or Declarative Seems declarative. The indirect speech act seems to be "excusing oneself".

what is the expressed psych state or sincerity condition?

E) I am very sorry that I mistook your papers for garbage
What is the direct form of this sentence using a performative verb?
what is the type of direc speech act? Pretty sure this is expressive Again declarative is possible. Expressive may be considered the indirect act here.

what is the expressed psych state or sincerity condition? Here I would say that the expressed state is regret.

It's not exactly clear what some of those terms mean as they are being used in your particular course of studies, so I had to make a few guesses. I recommend discussing these with your teacher.

CJ

Indirect speech acts

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