HYPOTACTIC CONSTRUCTION AS INDIRECT SPEECH ACT

Abstract

The article deals with the question of complex speech acts represented by syntactic constructions the immediate constituents of which are united on the basis of subordination. The author proves that such structures form an integral unit of non-homoge-neous communicative-pragmatic types of utterances characterized by the general speech purpose. Depending on the communicative purpose of the speaker, the latter may not coincide with the formal, surface structure of the construction, which results in its functioning as an indirect speech act. So, the conclusion is drawn on that the hierarchy of grammatical relations within a complex speech act isn’t isomorphic to the hierarchy of its pragmatic relations; and speech sense syncretism is determined by the pragmatic-semantic discreteness of its constituents – simple speech acts, at the intersection of which they are formed. The speaker’s conscious choice of the indirect speech act may be explained by that an implicit way of expressing the intention is a more effective means of arousing the listener’s reaction, urging him to certain actions and achieving the desired goal.