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3) The act for which one is thanked must be in the speaker’s best interest.
4) The act for which one is thanked must be witnessed by the speaker.
5) Both a) and c).
5. In a shop there may see a sign that reads “Thank you for not smoking”. Is it a an
expressive? Why? Why not? What is the propositional content condition on thanking?
6. You have an appointment with Professor N at 4 at his request. You come and his secretary
says that he has just called saying that he will come only at 5. You say, “I’m sorry but I can’t
come back later this afternoon.”
1) Is the utterance an apology? Why? Why not?
2) What felicity conditions on apologizing does it violate?
7. On a TV show “Little House on the Prairie” one of the characters says, “Family discipline is
based on promises kept – whether punishment or reward” treating two different types of
illocutionary acts as promises.
1) What are the two real illocutionary acts?
2) What general category of illocutionary acts do they belong to?
3) How do the two illocutionary acts differ in terms of their felicity conditions?
8. Explain the ambiguity in the following conversation:
– Andrew didn't return my files yet.
– Oh, I’m sorry.
– You don’t have to be sorry; you didn’t do anything.
9. Complete the following:
Syntactic form Illocutionar y force Direct/ indirect Expressed / implied Literal / nonliteral
1. Please stop talking. impera- direc- dir. expr. liter.
tive tive
2. Would you please not talk?
3. I guess it would kill you to stop talking.
4. You look so attractive with your mouth open.
5. A sign in front of a garage reads “Don’t even
think of parking here.”
6. A highway sign says “Do not exceed 55.”
7. A highway sign says “Speed limit 55.”
8. One night you visit your friend in her
apartment. When you walk in, she sits with all
the lights off. You want to get her to turn on a
light and say “What is this, a hiding place?”
9. The situation is the same, but you say, “It’s
kinda dark in here.”