Halyna D. Malyk Speech Acts and Events

Explicit and Nonexplicit Illocutionary Acts.

IFID

One of Austin’s important insights was that the most obvious device for indicating the illocutionary force (the Illocutionary Force Indicating Device, or IFID) is an expression of the type

[I (Vp) you that...]

where a verb explicitly names the illocutionary act being performed.

Eg.:

1. 
   I warn you to stop cheating.
   
   1. 
      May I inquire where you got those stolen goods?
      
2. 
   Your presence is requested
   
   1. 
      Our order is hereby cancelled.
      

Consequently, Austin showed that English contains a set of verbs, each of which names the illocutionary force of that verb, and called such verbs performative verbs (VP).

In order for a performative verb to have its performative sense (to perform the illocutionary act it names), it must

1. 
   be positive,
   
2. 
   be present tense,
   
3. 
   have a first-person agent,
   
4. 
   refer to a specific event.
   

Eg.:

1. 
   I admit my mistake.
   
2. 
   We cordially invite you to take part in the conference.
   
3. 
   We acknowledge receipt of your letter.
   

Not all verbs are VPs. For example, know is not a PV because the PVs meet the following criteria:

1. 
   a PV describes a voluntary act (one can’t choose to know or not know smth),
   
2. 
   a PV describes an act that can only be performed with words (one can know smth without saying s/he knows it),
   
3. 
   a PV can be used with the performative indicator hereby
   

An utterance that contains a PV (used in its performative sense) is called an explicit performative; an utterance that does not contain a PV (used in its performative sense) is called a nonexplicit/ implicit performative.

1. 
   Clean up this mess!
   
2. 
   I hereby order you that you clean up this mess.
   
3. 
   The work was done by Elaine and myself.
   
4. 
   I hereby tell you that the work was done by Elaine and myself.
   

Examples like [2, 4] (normally without 'hereby'), are used by speakers as explicit performatives. Examples like [1, 3] are implicit performatives, sometimes called primary performatives.

Speech act verbs can differ from one another as to the "degree" of their performativity. For example, we can say I order you but I threaten you and I boast are unacceptable. However, I have to boast that X is a normal form. Speech act verbs differ from one another in the range of modals which they can occur with: I would suggest/ recommend /advise but I must confess /admit/ though I must/would ask.

Utterances can be polyfunctional. Utterances with one illicutionary force can be called simple performatives, and utterances with two and more illicutionary forces can be called complex performatives (Почепцов О.1986: 25)

Complex performatives can be explicit and implicit. Explicit complex performatives describe n+1 illocutionary act. Examples of explicit complex performatives are as follows:

Eg.: Let me ask you how old are you?

Let me tell you that you are wrong.

Implicit complex performatives don't describe the illocutionary act n+1. Utterances like Can you feel a draft? used as a directive can be an example of this type.