Understanding English
Linguistics
Chapter 2 Pragmatics
: Overview of Speech Act Theory II
Tae-Jin Yoon
Dept. of English Language and
Literature
Objects
 After
this lecture, you should be able
to
◦ Identify various types of speech acts.
 Expressed and implied locutionary acts
 Literal and nonliteral locutionary acts
Speech acts
Illocutionary acts Locutionary acts
Performative
verb
Explicit
nonexplicit
Syntactic
form
direct
indirect
Actual
meaning
Propositional
contents
expressed
implied
literal
nonliteral
3. Expressed vs. Implied Locutionary
Acts

The propositional content of the
utterance
◦ In the case of an explicit performative
 What follows the performative verb
◦ In the case of a nonexplicit performative
 The entire utterance
I promise I'll come to your birthday party.
I'll come to your birthday party.

An expressed locutionary act
◦ one in which the utterance actually contains
all elements of the propositional content of
the illocutionary act involved

An implied locutionary act
◦ One in which the utterance does not express
the propositional content of the illocutionary
act involved.
a sign in the botanical gardens at
Oxford
Please make a donation to help us
maintain this Historic Garden and unique
collection of plants.Visiting similar gardens
often costs at least two pounds.
The implied proposition
 Grice’s Maxim of Relation

Exercise F.1.a

For each of the following utterances, state
whether the relevant proposition is
expressed or implied.
A sign on a fence reads Parking
here prohibits rubbish
collection.
4. Literal Versus Nonliteral
Locutionary Acts

A locutionary act can be either literal or
nonliteral, depending upon whether the
speaker actually means what is said
or not.
Literal versus nonliteral
Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your
health.
 Smoking is glamorous.

Nonliteral locutionary acts

those for which a literal interpretation is
either impossible or absurd within the
context of the utterance
Nonliteral
I could eat a horse.
 I guess it would kill you to turn down
that radio.
 Pick on someone your own size.
 If you want your wheel clamped, by all
means park here.

◦ (A wheel clamp is a device that keeps the car
from being moved.)
Exercise G.1
For each of the following, state whether the
locution is (i) expressed or implied and (ii)
literal or nonliteral.
b. A highway sign says Do not
exceed 55.
c. A highway sign says Speed Limit
55.