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Indirect Speech Acts

The document provides examples of indirect speech acts and discusses how they can be used to perform direct speech acts implicitly. It gives examples of indirect speech acts that express obligations, attitudes, ask permission, or state intentions regarding the direct speech act. For a direct speech act promising to pay money tomorrow, it explains how indirect speech acts could state obligations, attitudes, ask permission, or intentions to make that promise. It also provides examples of conversational implicatures and asks the reader to name the implicature in each case.

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ShaZia Khan
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
241 views2 pages

Indirect Speech Acts

The document provides examples of indirect speech acts and discusses how they can be used to perform direct speech acts implicitly. It gives examples of indirect speech acts that express obligations, attitudes, ask permission, or state intentions regarding the direct speech act. For a direct speech act promising to pay money tomorrow, it explains how indirect speech acts could state obligations, attitudes, ask permission, or intentions to make that promise. It also provides examples of conversational implicatures and asks the reader to name the implicature in each case.

Uploaded by

ShaZia Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Exercise 11.

5
Indirect Speech Acts
1. For the following indirect speech acts, (i) name the type of the implicit speech
act, (ii) write out the implicit speech act, and (iii) say what appropriateness
condition on the implicit speech act the explicit speech act gives expression to.

Example I would appreciate it if you could do the dishes.


Answer: i. directive
ii. I request that you do the dishes.
iii. Sp desires H to do something (sincerity
condition)

A. You’ll be happy to know that the work will be finished tomorrow.


B. The meeting is adjourned.
C. Any suggestions you have are welcome.
D. Isn’t that just the best idea we’ve heard so far?
E. Can’t you sit still for a minute?
F. I’d be honoured if you came to my party next week.
G. You’re welcome to come to my party next week.
H. Did you know that Allison is going to Europe this summer?
I. It's obvious that Bill is going to be late for his interview.
J. Let the unknown in this problem be Ax@.
K. Can you tell me how much that costs?

2.
a. Given the following direct speech act, write as much indirect speech acts
as you can think of: “I promise that I’ll pay you the money tomorrow”.
Explain how each works.
b. Other ways to perform indirect speech acts concern the performance of the
speech act itself, not the appropriateness conditions on the intended
speech act (see Fraser 1975):
● by stating an obligation to perform the speech act (an expressive), e.g., I
must ask you to pass the salt, I have to disturb you for the salt.
● by stating an emotive attitude toward performing the speech act (an
expressive), e.g., I am sorry to disturb you for the salt, I hate to ask you to
pass the salt (while you’re so busy eating).
● by asking permission to perform the speech act (a directive), e.g., May I
ask you to pass the salt?, May I disturb you for the salt?
● by stating the ability/desire/intention to perform the speech act (an
expressive), e.g., I {would like, want} to ask you for the salt, I am going to
ask that you pass the salt, I can request that you pass the salt.

Try to write indirect speech acts for the direct speech act in (a) based on these
principles.
3. Name the conversational implicature in each of the following.
1. It was very foggy and a car accident occurred.
2. (He has been unhappy since his dog died last year.
3. (She finished her degree and got married.

4. Speaker A: It's cold in here.


Speaker B: I’ll turn the heat up.
5. Speaker A: Where's Harry?
Speaker B: Jani's taking a holiday in Bermuda now.
6. Speaker A: What's the weather prediction?
Speaker B: Bring your coat.
7. Speaker A: Are your parents coming to visit?
Speaker B: My mother is.
8. Speaker A: Do you like Rosie?
Speaker B: Well, she has a nice husband.

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