Hello Students, Today we’ll have at two types of utterances – constative and performative.
What is Constative Utterance?
The word constative means statements or expressions that describe or express facts or situations in a story and therefore can be true or false. In other words, constatives are words or prejudices because they are used to describe or say something, true or false.
To be more precise, a constative utterance performs the following functions:
- It conveys a message;
- That message can be compared to the “real world” and declared true or false;
- A failed constative is false, unclear, or void of reference, that is, the thing it’s talking about doesn’t exist.
Examples of Explicit Constative Utterances
- I wish you Happy Anniversary
- I say to you congratulations
- I tell you god may bless you
- I wish you the best of health
- I am trying to open this box with cutter
- This gun is loaded
- I will be there
- I am obliged
- Send me the book
- You must swim
What is Performative Utterance?
Performative expressions are defined in verbal expressions as sentences that not only do nothing about the given truth, but change the truth they describe.
In other words, A sentence or other linguistic expression that, when expressed in the right context, actually does or accomplishes something.
Examples Explicit Performative Utterances
- I now pronounce you married – used for a course of marriage ceremony
- I order you to leave, leave—that’s an order
- You are fired
- I christen you
- I accept your challenge
- I mark you absent
- I swear not to repeat
- I apologize
- I dedicate this book to my husband
- War is declared
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