SPEECH ACT LEVELS

Read section 3 and comment on the features connected with the locution / illocution and perlocution in these statements (as indicated):

1 (Eliana and Vanesa): Promise me you won't do it.
2 (Adriana and Javier): Shall I believe him?
3 (Marianela and Ariana): The salad is overseasoned.
4 (Cintia and Camila): Her brother is lying to her.
5 (Julieta and Gisela): My best friend ignores me.
6 (Valeria and Marina): The poor are always last in line.
7 (Julieta and Gustavo): How many times should I tell you?
8 (Micaela and Ma. Florencia): They're coming tomorrow.
9 (Belén and Agustina): Send her the message.
10 (Virginia): Can't stand him any more!

Please note that this activity will be graded. Try to work it out before September 22nd.

SAMPLE ANSWER

"Give my regards to your father"

Can’t stand him any more!


1) At the Locution level, there is a clause headed by a verb phrase, followed by an object direct and an adverbial.

• The VP is in the negative form. It is a spoken expression used to say that you do not like someone or something at all, or that you think that something is extremely unpleasant.

• The DO is a noun phrase made up of a 3rd person singular object pronoun (masculine). It is an obligatory DO since the VP is transitive.

• The adverbial is optional, though it adds to the fact that the speaker used to bear this man (him) but now he / she doesn't.

• Since it is possible to omit subject pronouns at the beginning of short sentences in casual English, in this case the subject pronoun I has been left out. (I can’t stand him any more!)

2) The Illocutionary act implies a complaint or expression of annoyance or irritation.

3) The Perlocution level will manifest when the addressee supports this opinion and agrees with the speaker or, at least, feels sympathetic to his / her uncomfortable situation.

Good work!

Adriana A wrote:

2) Shall I believe him?

At the locution level, there is an utterance in the question form and so, the word order differs from that of a sentence. The utterance begins with a modal verb followed by the subject plus the verb and its DO. The VP is made up by the modal auxiliary verb "Shall" which expresses possibility and the bare infinitive form of the verb "to believe." As it is monotransitive, the main verb must take a DO that, in this case, is the objective form of the third person singular pronoun "he" which has a referential function to a male person. The verb "Shall" is grammatically bound to the subjective form of the first person singular pronoun "I."

The illocutionary act implies asking for advice.

The perlocution level will manifest when the addressee does give his/ her own opinion.

By Aquilia, Adriana and Sosa, Javier (we worked together)

The idea of possibility suggested by "shall" may be undestood from a grammatical viewpoint as "Do you think it is possible that I believe him?"

I agree!

9)- SEND HER THE MESSAGE

At the locution level, we find a clause headed by a VP in the imperative form, followed by an OI and an OD. The OI is the objective form of the third person singular pronoun "she". The OD is a NP headed by the noun message and pre-modified by the definite article "the".

The illocutionary act implies an order.

The perlocution level will manifest when the addressee accomplishes such request. The perlocution level will manifest when the addressee accomplishes such ORDER and sends her the message.


By Agustina and Belén

Good!

"PROMISE ME YOU WON´T DO IT."

* At the locution level, we find a clause headed by a VP in the imperative form, followed by an IO and a DO. The IO is a NP headed by a personal pronoun ("me"). The DO is a that-clause, where "that" has been omitted. The that-clause is made up of the Subject (a NP headed by the pronoun "you") and the Predicate ( a VP in the future tense and in the negative form: "won´t do" + a DO: a NP headed by the pronoun "it")

* The illocutionary act implies a request.

* The perlocutionary level will manifest once the addressee responds to that request (by promising what the addresser is requesting for).


By Vanesa and Eliana

Good!

Her brother is lying to her

At the locution level, we find a clause headed by a NP in the declarative form, followed by a VP and a DO. The VP is formed by the monotransitive verb lie in the progressive aspect. The DO is a PP headed by to and followed by the objective pronoun her.

The illocutionary act implies an assertion.

The perlocution level will manifest when the addressee either asserts or denies such statement.



Cintia Diamand & Camila Román

Good!

“The poor are always last in line.”

At the illocution level, we find a clause headed by the NP “The poor”, followed by a copular verb in the present simple tense: “are” and a SP. The SP is an Adj. P headed by the adjective “last”. The SP is followed by a PP headed by the preposition “in.”

The illocutionary level or act implies a statement or opinion.

The perlocution level will manifest when the addressee could see or realise, for instance, that underprivileged people when standing in a queue or waiting are last in line. In this particular case, “in line” suggests a literal use of language. If we analyze the former case, we can clearly understand that the meaning of “in line” is a more metaphoric one. It actually implies that, whenever there is a social or economic problem, poor people are usually the last ones to be taken care of or to be thought of.

Good!

"My best friend ignores me."

At the LOCUTIONARY LEVEL we find an utterance with the typical English SVO structure composed by:
- a subject composed by a NP headed by the noun "friend" modified by the Adjs. my and best.
- s predicate composed by a VP headed by the Verb "ignores" and its DO, the objective pronoun in the 1st pers. "me".


The ILLOCUTIONARY ACT implies a mild complaint.

The PERLOCUTIONARY LEVEL will manifest when the addressee reacts to such complaint.

Julieta Francescutti and Gisela Pontarolo

Good

They're coming tomorrow.
At the locution level, we find a clause in the declarative form headed by a NP (3rd person plural personal pronoun), followed by a VP and an Adverbial. The VP is formed by the intransitive verb come in the progressive aspect. The Adverbial is formed by the adverb of time tomorrow.

The illocutionary act implies a statement (The S is providing information to the H) Or assertion, right?

The perlocution level will manifest when the addressee reacts to this statement. For instance, by saying “Really?, I didn’t know”, “In the morning?”, “Ok”, etc.

By Micaela Grbac and Florencia Ontivero

Good!

“My best friend ignores me”

At the illocution level, we find a noun phrase (“My best friend”) followed by a VP in the present simple tense (“ignores”), and followed by a noun phrase (“me”) functioning as IO.

The illocutionary act implies as statement or confirmation.

The perlocution level will manifest when the addressee acknowledges the fact, agrees or disagrees with the statement or gives his / her opinion about it.

(posted on Sept., 21st but mysteriously disappeared)

Good work. Pity there was an exercise unanswered.