In the course of performing speech acts we ordinarily communicate
with each other. The content of communication may be identical, or almost
identical, with the content intended to be communicated.
However, the meaning of the linguistic means used (if ever
there are linguistic means, for at least some so-called "speech acts"
can be performed non-verbally) may also be different from the content intended
to be communicated. One may, in appropriate circumstances, request Peter to do
the dishes by just saying, "Peter ...!", or one can promise to do the
dishes by saying, "Me!" One common way of performing speech acts is
to use an expression which indicates one speech act, and indeed performs this
act, but also performs a further speech act, which is indirect. One may, for
instance, say, "Peter, can you open the window?", thereby asking
Peter whether he will be able to open the window, but also requesting that he
does so. Since the request is performed indirectly, by means of (directly)
performing a question, it counts as an indirect speech act.
Indirect speech acts are commonly used to reject proposals
and to make requests. For example, a speaker asks, "Would you like to meet
me for coffee?" and another replies, "I have class." The second
speaker used an indirect speech act to reject the proposal. This is indirect
because the literal meaning of "I have class" does not entail any
sort of rejection.
