Performing Actions

A fourth function of verbal communication is that it enables us to take action. We make requests, issue invitations, deliver commands, or even taunt—as Ali did to his competitors. We also try to influence others’ behaviors. We want our listeners to grant our requests, accept our invitations, obey our commands, or suffer from our curses. The actions that we perform with language are called speech acts (Searle, 1969). (See Table 7.1 for types of speech acts.)

Table 7.1 Types of Speech Acts

Act Function Forms Example
Representative Commits the speaker to the truth of what has been said Assertions, Conclusions “It sure is a beautiful day.”
Directive Attempts to get listeners to do things Questions, Requests, Commands “Can you loan me five dollars?”
Commissive Commits speakers to future action Promises, Threats “I will always love you, no matter what happens.”
Expressive Conveys a psychological or emotional state that the speaker is experiencing Thanks, Apologies, Congratulations “Thank you so much for the wonderful gift!”
Declarative Produces dramatic, observable effects Marriage Pronouncements, Firing Declarations “From this point onward, you are no longer an employee of this organization.”

Note: The information in this table is adapted from Searle (1976).

During interpersonal encounters, the structure of our back-and-forth exchange is based on the speech acts we perform (Jacobs, 1994; Levinson, 1985). When your professor asks you a question, how do you know what to do next? You recognize that the words she has spoken constitute a “question,” and you realize that an “answer” is expected as the relevant response. Similarly, when your best friend text-messages you and inquires, “Can I borrow your car tonight?” you immediately recognize his message as a “request.” You also understand that two speech acts are possible as relevant responses: “granting” his request (“no problem”) or “rejecting” it (“I don’t think so”).