There is a good deal of poetry in everyday communication, and poetry without emotive meaning is pretty dull. We often do wish to convey some portion of our feelings along with information. This is a natural function of ordinary language, of course. Thus, the choice of which word to use in making a statement can be used in hopes of evoking a particular emotional response. Many of the most common words and phrases of any language have both a literal or descriptive meaning that refers to the way things are and anД®motive meaning that expresses some (positive or negative) feeling about them. While the specifics may vary, some portion of the point remains the same: since we do in fact employ language for many distinct purposes, we can minimize confusion by keeping in mind what we're up to on any particular occasion.Д®ven single words or short phrases can exhibit the distinction between purely informative and partially expressive uses of language. Speech acts in association with the discussion in your textbook. Austin developed a similar, though much more detailed and sophisticated, nomenclature for the variety of actions we commonly perform in employing ordinary language. In many cases, however, it is possible to identify a single use of language that is probably intended to be the primary function of a particular linguistic unit.Д«ritish philosopher J. In fact, uses of two or more varieties may be mixed together in a single utterance 'Stop that,' for example, usually involves both expressive and directive functions jointly. The simple declarative sentence, 'I'm hungry,' for example, could be used to report on a physiological condition, or to express a feeling, or implicitly to request that someone feed me. Notice that the intended use in a particular instance often depends more on the specific context and tone of voice than it does on the grammatical form or vocabulary of what is said. This is a significant linguistic function, too, but like the expressive use, it doesn't always relate logically to the truth of our beliefs. The point in each of these cases is to make someone perform (or forswear) a particular action. When I say 'Shut the door,' or write 'Read the textbook,' or memo myself, 'Don't rely so heavily on the passive voice,' I am using language directively. Finally, directive uses of language aim to cause or to prevent some overt action by a human agent.

Although such uses don't convey any information, they do serve an important function in everyday life, since how we feel sometimes matters as much asВ—or more thanВ—what we hold to be true. When I say, 'Friday afternoons are dreary,' or yell 'Ouch!' I am using language expressively.

An expressive use of language, on the other hand, intends only to vent some feeling, or perhaps to evoke some feeling from other people.

This kind of use presumes that the content of what is being communicated is actually true, so it will be our central focus in the study of logic. When I tell a child, 'The fifth of May is a Mexican holiday,' or write to you that 'Logic is the study of correct reasoning,' or jot a note to myself, 'Jenniferв‰µ55-3769,' I am using language informatively.

The informative use of language involves an effort to communicate some content.

It is helpful to identify at least three distinct uses of language: In fact, we use language in many different ways, some of which are irrelevant to any attempt to provide reasons for what we believe. The formal patterns of correct reasoning can all be conveyed through ordinary language, but then so can a lot of other things.

Charged language