The Functions of Illocutionary Acts

Leech's (1993:104) purposes the illocutionary acts based on its functions. It is according to how illocutionary acts relate to the social goals or purposes of establishing and maintaining politeness. The form types of illocutionary acts functions are as follows:

1. Competitive aims at competing with the social purposes, such as ordering, asking, demanding, and begging. It is intended to produce some effects through action by the hearer. For instance, “I ask your cookies”.

2. Convivial aims in compliance with the social purposes, for instance offering, inviting, greeting, thanking and congratulating. Such as, “Do you want these cookies?”

3. Collaborative aims at ignoring the social purposes as like asserting, reporting, announcing, and instructing. It is commit the speaker to the truth of expressed proposition. For instance, “I like this book”.

4. Conflictive aims at conflicting against the social purposes. Such as threatening, accusing, and reprimanding. If you say again “I will say to your father”.

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See also:

• Austin's Speech Act Theory
• Performative vs. Constative Sentence
• Austin’s five categories of performative