Expressive speech acts are utterances used by speakers to express their psychological attitude or feelings about a situation. According to the provided classification, the different kinds of expressive speech acts are thanking, apologising, welcoming, and deploring.
Understanding Expressive Speech Acts
Speech acts are actions performed through language. J.L. Austin, and later John Searle, classified speech acts into various categories based on their function. Expressives form one of these key categories. Their primary function is not to describe the world, commit to a future action, direct others, or represent a state of affairs, but rather to convey the speaker's internal state or emotional reaction to something.
Core Function of Expressives
The core function is simply to express how the speaker feels about the situation. This can cover a wide range of emotions and reactions.
Classification of Expressive Speech Acts
Based on the provided reference, the main classifications of expressive speech acts include:
- Thanking: Expressing gratitude for something received or done.
- Example: "Thank you for your help."
- Apologising: Expressing regret for an action or situation.
- Example: "I apologize for being late."
- Welcoming: Expressing pleasure at someone's arrival or presence.
- Example: "Welcome to our home!"
- Deploring: Expressing strong disapproval or regret.
- Example: "We deplore the loss of innocent lives."
These specific examples illustrate the variety of feelings that can be conveyed through this category of speech acts.
Practical Examples
Here's a quick look at how these classifications manifest in everyday language:
| Classification | Speaker's Feeling Expressed | Common Phrases |
|---|---|---|
| Thanking | Gratitude | Thank you, I appreciate it, Cheers |
| Apologising | Regret | Sorry, My apologies, Excuse me |
| Welcoming | Pleasure/Hospitality | Welcome, Glad you're here, Come in |
| Deploring | Disapproval/Regret | We deplore, It's regrettable, Shame |
Understanding these classifications helps analyze the communicative function of different utterances and the speaker's underlying intentions and emotions.
