4.2.1.2 Declarative Sentence Type as a Request for Society
1. But I think we need to reclaim the F word if it means supporting equal
opportunities for men and women.
Declarative sentence type; Request
The utterance above is produced in declarative sentence type which has function as a request for the society, both man and women. The person deixis
‘I’ refers to Sheryl Sandberg and ‘we’ refers to society. The speaker requests society to reclaim the word ‘Feminism’ if by reclaiming it means supporting
equal opportunities for man and women. The speaker doesn’t say her request to the society directly, but she says her request indirectly by saying what she
thinks the society need to do. She uses the word ‘we’ to make her utterance sounds more polite and it would be contextually inappropriate for her, Sheryl
Sandberg who had reclaim the feminism word and had wrote a book about it included in to the utterance. It is also contextually inappropriate for Sheryl
Sandberg to just say her argument in her interview while her purpose is
actually to make women to be a leader. Sheryl Sandberg wants and fights for
women to get the same opportunities like man and this interview she asked society to help her indirectly by saying her argument about what they,
Sandberg and society need to do. Based on the sentence type and the function, the utterance is an indirect speech act.
2. The book is for any woman who wants advice on how to sit at any table she
wants to sit at, and for any man who wants to be part of creating a more equal world.
Declarative sentence type; Request
The utterance above is produced in declarative sentence type which has function as a request for society; they are women who wants advice on how to
sit at any table she wants to sit at, and for any man who wants to be part of creating a more equal world. In the utterance, the phrase ‘how to sit at any
table she wants to sit at’ means ‘how to get power and be in a position that she wants at.’ The speaker uses the utterance to request women who wants advice
on how to get power and be in a position that she wants at, and for any man
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who wants to be part of creating a more equal world indirectly to buy Sheryl Sandberg’s book. She requests or persuades them indirectly to buy her book by
explaining to whom her book is suitable for. Based on the sentence type and the function, the utterance is an indirect speech act.
3. Reigniting the revolution means I want us to notice all of this and find ways to
encourage more women to step up and more companies to recognize what women bring to the table.
Declarative sentence type; Request
The utterance above is produced in declarative sentence type which has function as a request for society and companies. The person deixis ‘us’ refers
to society and Sandberg uses the word ‘us’ to make it sounds more polite. The fact is Sandberg has noticed and found ways to encourage more women to step
up. So, it is contextually inappropriate to use the word ‘us’ in the utterance. The speaker uses the utterance to request society and companies indirectly to
reigniting the revolution. Sandberg requests society to notice and find ways to encourage more women to step up and she also requests companies to
recognize what women can do. It would be contextually inappropriate for her to say her desire. She request society and companies indirectly by saying her
desire. Based on the sentence type and the function, the utterance is an indirect speech act.
4. But we need to break down limitations imposed by stereotypes.
Declarative sentence type; Request
The utterance above is produced in declarative sentence type which has function as a request for society. The person deixis ‘we’ refers to society. The
speaker uses the utterance to request society indirectly to break down limitations imposed by stereotypes. Based on her experience, Sheryl Sandberg
has already broken down the limitations imposed by stereotypes so she can be a leader, but she instead used the word ‘we’ to make the request sounds more
polite. It would be contextually inappropriate to say what she needs to do when she had done it. Sandberg request the society indirectly by saying what society
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need to do. Based on the sentence type and the function, the utterance is an indirect speech act.
5. I think we need to widen perceptions, and Im not just talking about body-
image issues.
Declarative sentence type; Request
The utterance above is produced in declarative sentence type which has function as a request for society. The person deixis ‘we’ refers to society and
‘I’ refers to Sheryl Sandberg. The speaker uses the utterance to request society indirectly to widen perceptions and don’t only talk about body-image issues.
Sheryl Sandberg has already done what she request society to do for. She has already widened her perception, but she instead using ‘we’ to make the request
sounds more polite. In the utterance she use the word ‘we’ so it is contextually inappropriate. She doesn’t request them directly but instead request them
indirectly by saying what they; Sandberg and society need to do. Based on the sentence type and the function, the utterance is an indirect speech act.
6. If we start acknowledging what the real issues are, we can solve them.
Declarative sentence type; Request
The utterance above is produced in declarative sentence type which has function as a request for society. The person deixis ‘we’ refers to society.
Sandberg uses the utterance in declarative sentence type to request society indirectly to start acknowledging what the real issues are, so they can solve it.
Sandberg has already acknowledging the issue, the gender issue but she instead uses the word ‘we’ to make the request sound more polite. Actually, the use of
the word ‘we’ is contextually inappropriate. Sandberg doesn’t request the society directly but instead request them indirectly by giving a solution to
them, Sandberg and society to start acknowledging the real issues if they want to solve it. Based on the sentence type and the function, the utterance is an
indirect speech act.
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4.2.2 Indirect Speech Acts in Declarative sentence type as a Promise