Speech Acts and Illocutionary Force

Illocutionary force is the intended effect of a speech act, such as requesting, promising, or warning.

A directive speech act is one that attempts to get the hearer to do something, such as a request or command.

A locutionary act is the act of saying something, regardless of its intended effect.

An expressive speech act is one that expresses the speaker's emotions or attitudes, such as an apology or a compliment.

Locutionary content is the actual words that are used in a speech act.

A commissive speech act is one that commits the speaker to a future course of action, such as a promise or a threat.

The perlocutionary effect is the effect that a speech act has on the hearer, such as convincing them to do something or changing their beliefs.

A declarative speech act is one that states a fact or opinion, such as a statement or a description.

Propositional content is the propositional content of a speech act, such as the belief or desire that is expressed.

An assertive speech act is one that asserts a proposition as true, such as a statement or a claim.

The illocutionary force of a speech act that attempts to get the hearer to do something is directive.

A representative speech act is one that represents the speaker's beliefs or thoughts, such as a statement of belief or a statement of intention.

The illocutionary force of a speech act that expresses the speaker's emotions or attitudes is expressive.

A performative speech act is one that performs an action simply by being said, such as a promise, an apology, or a declaration.

The illocutionary force of a speech act that states a fact or opinion is declarative.