1- Introduction

A subfield of linguistics developed in the late 1970, pragmatics studies

how people comprehend and produce a communicative act or speech act in a

concrete speech situation which is usually a conversion.

A speech act is an act that a speaker performs. We have been

considering the ways in which we interpret the meaning of an utterance in

terms of what the speaker indented to convey. Speech act is used to describe

actions such as ‘requesting’ ‘commanding’ ‘questioning’ or ‘informing’. A

speech act can be defined as the actions performed by a speaker with an

utterance.

We perform speech acts when we offer an apology, request, complaint,

irritation, compliment or refusal. A speech act is an utterance that serves a

function in communication while expressing themselves people do not only

produce utterance containing grammatical structure and words on the contrary,

they perform actions via those utterance.

This study deals with speech acts as a basic concept of pragmatics

speech acts can be distinguished on the basis of structure direct and indirect

speech. Then the three levels of speech acts; locutionary. Illocutionary and

perlocunationary and Searle’s typology of speech acts; Assertive, directives,

commissives, expressive and declarations.

2- Pragmatics

Pragmatics is the study of how utterances relate to the context they are

spoken in the rules or practices regarding how language is used in particular social

situation to convey particular social information such as the relative status or

power of the speakers.

“Pragmatics studies the factors that govern our choice of language I social

interrelation and the effects of our choice on others”. (David Crystal)

“Pragmatics is all about the meaning between the lashes and the grammars

and the phonology meaning are implied and the rules being followed are

unspoken, unwritten ones”. (George Keith)

Pragmatics is a systematic way of explaining language use in context. It

seeks to explain aspects of meaning which cannot be found in the plain sense of

words or structures as explained by semantics.

3- Speech acts as a basic concept of pragmatic

Speech acts are a staple of everyday communication life. In very general

terms, we can usually recognize the type of action performed by a speaker with the

utterance. We use the term speech act to describe actions such as requesting,

commanding, questioning or informing.

Speech acts can be distinguished on the basis of structures:-

3.1. Direct and Indirect Speech Acts

In the course of performing speech acts we ordinarily communicate

with each other. The content of communication may be identified with the

content indented to be communicated as when a stranger asks, “What is

your name?”

3.1.1 Direct Speech Acts

Three basic types of direct speech acts correspond to special syntax

which occurs in most of the world’s language like English and French.

Direct speech acts are those which are expressed by the

constructions specifically designed for them. For example, an interrogative

construction is meant to ask a question similarly a declarative structure is

designed to make a statement. In addition an imperative construction is

reserved for giving orders.

●Examples:-

1. You ate the apple. (Declarative/Statement).

2. Did you ate the apple? (Interrogative/Question).

3. Eat the apple (please)! (Imperative/Command).

3.1.2 Indirect Speech Acts

An Indirect speech act is an utterance in which one says something an

means something else much depend upon the listener to derive the correct indirect

or implied meaning of these sets.

When we make use of somebody’s words or thoughts part of our own

sentence using conjunctions (E.G. that) and changing pronounce, tenses and other

words where necessary.

●Examples:-

1. Can you open window?

2. Would you mind opening the window?

3. I would prefer the window open.

4. It is hot in here.

3.2. The three levels of speech acts

There are various types of speech acts given by the linguistic and

philosophers like J.L.Austin and J.R.Searle. Three dimensions of the actions

produced by an utterance:- locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary.

3.2.1. Locutionary Act

The locutionary act can be viewed as a mere uttering of some words in

certain language. A locutionary act, the performance of an utterance the actual

utterance and its ostensible meaning, comprising phonetics, plastic, rhetic acts

corresponding to the verbal syntactic and semantic aspects of any meaningful

utterance.

It is the act of uttering certain noises, sounds and words in a certain order

with a certain sense and reference. It is in the production of sounds in a coherent

manner. It can be called a particular way of saying something in words.

In fact utterances have two kinds of meanings propositional and

illocutionary meanings. The first one i.e. the propositional meaning is called

locutionary meaning. It is the basic literal meaning of the utterance which is

conveyed by particular words and structure. In short a locutionary act is the act of

“Performing an act of saying something”.

● Example:-

The expression “It is cold” is a locutionary act of the hearer understand the

words “It", "is" and cold”.

3.2.2. Illocutionary Act

An illocutionary act communicates the speaker intentions behind the

location. It conveys a request from the part.

Illusionary acts are considered the core of the theory of speech acts, an

illocutionary act is the actions performed by the speaker in producing a given

utterance. The illocutionary is closely connected with speaker’s intentions e.g

stating, questioning, promising, requesting, giving commands. Threatening and

many others. As claims the illocutionary act is thus performed via the

communicative force of an utterance which is also generally known as

illocutionary force of the utterance. Basically the illocutionary act indicated how

the whole utterance is to be taken in the conversion.

It is the act performed in saying something i.e. the force of an utterance. In

other words it is an act which is performed as a result of the speaker making an

utterance. For example, the same example of locutionary “It is cold”, but here the

sentence means something else, itcan be taken as a request to close the door.

3.2.3. Perlocutionary Act

Perlocutionary act is performing an act by saying something. In this act we

look at the particular effect that the speaker’s utterance has on the listener, who

may feel amused, persuaded, warned, frightened etc as a consequence. It is

important to note that the elocutionary force of an utterance and its perlocutionary

effect may not coincide. If warn you against a particular course of action, you may

or may not need to my warning.

A perlocutionary act means the results or effects which are produced by

means of saying something. For example the same sentence of the previous types

or levels of acts which is “It is cold” the reaction would be” closing the door”

The locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary acts are in facts three

basic components with the help of which a speech act is formed. Speech briefly

defined them like this:-

Locutionary act: - Performing an act of saying something.

Illocutionary act: - Performing an act in saying something.

Perlocutionary act: - Performing an act by saying something.

3.3. Searle’s Topology of Speech Acts

Apart from the three levels of speech acts: Locutionary, illocutionary

and perlocutionary J.R. Searle classified speech acts into five types:- assertive,

directive, commissives, Expressive and Declarative.

3.3.1. Assertive

Here the speaker asserts a proposition to be true using such verbs as :

affirm, believe, conclude, deny and report. The speaker conveys his belief

about the truth of a proposition.

These speech acts commit the speaker to the truth of the expressed

proposition example stating, suggesting, complaining, reporting, claiming and

boasting.

● Examples: -

1. Water boils at 100º.

2. It is a nice day today.

3. Two persons have been killed in the accident.

3.3.2. Directives

Here the speaker tries to make the hearer do something with such

words: ask, beg, challenge, command, dare, invite, insist and request.

In this type of speech acts as the name suggest these speech acts

embody an effort of the speaker to get the hearer to do something or direct him

towards the foal. The speech acts comprise the category of the illocution in

which negative politeness is important.

● Examples:-

1- Don't talk loudly.

2- Would you mind pass me the salt?

3- Give me a cup of tea.

3.3.3. Commissives

Here the speaker commits himself or herself to a future course of

actions with verbs such as: guarantee, pledge, and promise, swear, wow,

understand and warrant.

● Examples: -

1. I shall be there at six o’clock.

2. We shall not play again.

3. I am going to get full marks next exam.

3.3.4. Expressive

The speaker expresses an attitude to or about a state of affairs using

such verbs as: apologize, appreciate, congratulate, deplore, detects, regret,

thanks and welcome the speaker express his feeling and emotions.

● Example: -

1. I am so sorry.

2. Very food my son.

3. Thank you very much my brother.

3.3.5. Declaration

The speaker alters the external status or condition of an object ot

situation solely by making the utterance. These are the speech acts which

effects immediate changes in the institutional state of affairs.

● Examples: -

1. I now pronounce you man and wife.

2. I sentence you to be dead.

3. I name this ship “happy ship”.

4. Conclusion

We perform speech acts when we offer an apology, greeting, requesting,

complaint, invitation, complaint or refusal. A speech acts is an utterance that

serves a function in communication.

Pragmatic is a systematic way of explaining language use in context. It

seeks to explain aspects of meaning which cannot be found in the plain sense of

words or structures.

Speech act broadly explains these utterances as having three parts or

aspects locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary.

Thus we can say that speech acts as a basic concept of pragmatic is a vary

important aspect in language as it helps to understand the intention of the speaker.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Cutting, Joan. 2005, Pragmatics and discourse, Taylor and Francis e-

Library.

2. Swan, Michael. 2005, Practical English Usage, Oxford university Press.

3. Yule, George. 2006, The Study of Language, Cambridge University Press,

New Delhi, India.

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