The Basic Functions and Characteristics

of Language

USES OF LANGUAGE
- To communicate
- To raise some passion
- To excite or deter an action
- To give orders
- To describe ideas

THREE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF

LANGUAGE
Informative

Expressive
Directive

INFORMATIVE
Communicate information
Accomplished by formulating and affirming (or

denying) proposition
Used to describe

EXAMPLES
Crows are black.
Mumbai is not the capital of India.

A spider has eight legs.

Logic is the study of correct reasoning.

EXPRESSIVE
Used to express our feelings, emotions and

attitudes.
Evoke certain feelings, emotions or attitudes to

someone else, and vice versa.

EXAMPLES
Its disgusting!
Its too bad!

Its wonderful!
Lets win the game!

DIRECTIVE
Often used to give an order/directive to do or not

something

EXAMPLES
Finish your homework.
Wash your clothes.

You should wear a helmet while riding a

motorcycle.
Help me!

DISCOURSE SERVING MULTIPLE

FUNCTIONS
Multiple Functions
Possible Approaches

Other Mixed Uses of Language

The Three Basic Uses of Language which

are identified as:
Informative,

Expressive, and
Directive

A discourse may serve multiple functions. It could be

informative, expressive, and directive at the same time.
Ex. Poem

Effective communication demands certain

combinations and functions.
Example:
Suppose your aim is to get listeners to contribute to a

particular charitable organization. Assuming your

listeners to be benevolent in attitude.

Several possible approaches:

Informative and directive
Expressive and directive
Informative, expressive, and directive

** moving appeal enhancing the benevolent feelings

or emotions of the listeners.

Other mixed uses of language:

A. Ceremonial Discourse
- a mixture of expressive and directive discourse

Examples:
1. Ceremonial greetings
2. Marriage ceremony

B. Performative utterance
- actually performs the act it appears to report or describe

Performative verbs
- Verbs that denote an action that is typically
accomplished

Examples:
I congratulate you..;
I apologize for my..;
I suggest that..;
I accept your offer..; and so on.

THE FORMS OF DISCOURSE

Sentence
- The unit of language that expresses a complete thought
Four Categories:
1. Declarative
2. Interrogative
3. Imperative
4. Exclamatory

* Most people may identify form with function, such

that:
Declarative sentences and informative discourse coincide;
Exclamatory sentences and informative discourse

coincide;
Directive discourse consists exclusively of sentences in the
imperative or interrogative mood.

Not everything in the form of declarative sentence in

informative discourse. They also lend themselves to the
formulation of every kind of discourse. This is the same
with other forms of sentences.

Examples:
I had a nice time at your party. This is a declarative

sentence but its function is not to inform, but rather

expressive.
Do you realize that were almost late? - An
interrogative sentence but not necessarily a request for
information, but a request to hurry.

 Isnt it true that Russia and Germany signed a pact in

1939 that led to the Second World War? - may not be a

question, but either an oblique way of communicating
information or an attempt to evoke a feeling of hostility
toward Russia.

 Know all these men by these presents - may not be a

command, rather, an informative discourse in what it

asserts and expressive discourse in its use of language to
evoke feelings of solemnity and respect.
Good Lord, its Late! may in context be a request to

hurry.

Much discourse is intended to serve two or possibly all

three functions of language at once. In such cases, each
aspect or function of a given passage is subject to its own
criteria. To evaluate a given passage properly requires
knowledge of the function or function it is intended to
serve.

It is also important to distinguish between the proposition

that a sentence formulates and some fact about the speaker
for which the utterance of that sentence is evidence.

Examples:
It is raining. the proposition asserted is about the

weather, not the speaker. Yet the assertion is evidence that

the speaker believes it to be raining, which is a fact about
the speaker.
I received a lot of gifts! An exclamation of joy gives
evidence that the speaker is joyful, even though the
speaker makes no assertion in the process.

EMOTIVE WORDS
Concept
Literal and Emotive Meanings

Manipulative Use
Relation to Law

Emotive Words
Two different words or phrases can have literal (or
denovative) meanings which are similar, but differ
significantly in their emotive significance.
Thin
Slender
(+)

Emaciated
(-)

Bureaucrat
Express resentment and disapproval

Government
Official
More neutral than either of the two
Public Servant
Express respect and approval

An innocent bystander had his face shredded by broken

glass when the drunken idiot lost his control.

An innocent bystander had his face shredded by broken

glass when the drunken idiot lost his control.

All these terms are emotive.

The boy ran past me with the other boy chasing him.

The man stood in the corner talking to the girl.

Neutral sentences

thug
fled
________
The boy ran___
past me with the other boy chasing
him.
dark
hitting
sleazy
______
The ^ man stood in the ^ corner talking to the
(young)
__
girl.
______
Negative Neutral
Sentences

Full on this casement shone the wintry moon,

And threw warm gules on
Madelines fair breast.

casement window
gules red
Madeline a girls name
fair white or uncolored
breast - chest

Full on________
this casement shone the wintry moon,
__________________
____________
And threw warm gules on Madelines
fair breast.
_______
Full on this window shone the wintry moon,
Making red marks on Janes uncolored chest.

Emotive Words and the Law

An innocent bystander had his face shredded by broken glass
when the drunken idiot lost his control.
innocent bystander
shredded
drunken idiot

KINDS OF AGREEMENT
AND
DISAGREEMENT

EMOTIVELY NEUTRAL
LANGUAGE
Its concept
In comparison with neutral language

What is Emotively Neutral language for?

- It is preferably used when we are trying to get to the facts
or follow an argument; our emotions often cloud our
reasoning.

EMOTIVE LANGUAGE
vs
NEUTRAL LANGUAGE