52 The above discussion shows that compliance can be achieved by given the
addressee a chance to decide whether they agree or not. It means that speaker does not imposed on the addressee‟s freedom of action, but supports them to choose the
right decision which is the speaker‟s intention.
2. Imperative
a. Disobeyed utterances
The identified communicative function in this imperative mood is command, although according to Condoravdi and Lauer 2012 imperative is not only to
assert command, it can also function to give permission, advice, wish, invitation, etc. Out of 48 utterances, only 4 examples are taken. They represent the variety of
form. Below are the examples on the function of commands in imperative found in Nanny 911 discourses.
28 Sit on the couch 14.a.1
children runs to sit on the couch 29
Respect each other and share 14.h.1 Giana pulls the crayon to her side
Utterances 28 and 29 are direct commands from a father to his children.
Example 28 is in the context of a child who plays around and does not willing to stop when his father tells him to do so, consequently his father yells at him to sit
on the couch so that he would stop playing around. The boy runs away from his father as his respond to this command. The direct command does not give chance
to the addressee to reject, it disturbs the boy‟s freedom of action. Utterance 29
is in the context of children who do not want to share crayons and color together, therefore they quarrels to have the crayons for themselves. This is responded by
one of the girl by pulling the crayons to her side to have it for herself. Father‟s
53 command is a disturbance to the possession of the crayon. If the girls comply to
the command they would lose their possession over the crayons because they have to share.
30 Olivia, please go get the napkins 2.c.1
Mimi wanna go get the napkin 31
Say I‟m sorry for using bad words, Mommy 10.b.1 No….. crying
Example 30 is in the context of a father who prepares dinner and asks his daughter to help him to get napkins. It is stated in a polite form using the
politeness marker please. However, this command is answered by the girl saying “Mimi wanna go get the napkins”. As a form of rejection to his father‟s command,
she passes the command to her sister while actually she is the one who is being ordered. Complying with the command will disturb her enjoyment in playing with
her siblings at that time. Example 31 is a direct command from a mother to her son who cries out loud saying bad words when his mother commands him to stop
kicking. On this command, the boy replies No and cries as a form of rejection. Mother has disturbed the boy‟s enjoyment of playing which consequently
imposing his freedom. The discussion shows that disobedience may be caused by disturbance on
someone possessions and disturbance on someone enjoyment. Stopping someone from their current activity needs high cost action of compliance. The examples on
disobeyed imperative are all the adults‟ directives to stop children current activity
or tell them to do something immediately.
54 b.
Obeyed utterances In the imperative mood, some identified communicative functions are advice,
invitation, suggestion, and request. The dominant function is request by 40 of the utterance, followed by suggestion by 30, then advice by 20, and invitation
by 10. The summary in the form of table for the numbers and the percentage of the communicative functions is shown below.
Table 4.4 The Communicative Function in Obeyed Imperative No
Communicative function Numbers
Percentage 1
Advise 2
20 2
Suggest 3
30 3
Request 5
50 Total
10 100
The number of utterances is 10, however 7 are taken as examples based on the form. The first identified function in the obeyed imperative is giving advice.
Below are the examples for the communicative function.
32 Don‟t cry 14.n.1
listening 33
No more hurting 5.d.1 OK
As already mentioned, advice is given when a speaker expresses his belief that the
hearer is supposed to believe that he has sufficient reason to do something. The case of example 32 is included in the function of advice because the context is a
conversation between a father and his daughter who cries because she is sorry for being naughty and treats her father badly. The father is advising her not to cry
because she does not have sufficient reason to do it. Simultaneously, it also has the function as a command for her to stop crying. The girl responds by saying
I’m
55 sorry, Daddy and stops crying when her father hugs her. Here is a part of the
conversation as the context of the utterance Daddy
: Don‟t cry. I don‟t want you to cry. You have no reason to cry. I just want you to do what I say.
Gabriella: I‟m sorry, Daddy. Seen from the father‟s whole utterances, he restates giving reason and values that
crying is not appropriate because actually she does not have reason to cry. Similar to example 32 is utterance 33, it is an advice from a mother to her son not to
hurt his sister because hurting is not an accepted behavior, moreover he has not enough reason to hurt his sister. At the same time, it also has the function of a
command. However, in the researcher view point it is more an advice because it gives the hearer a chance to comply or not to the advice when in a command the
hearer should comply. The boy responds by saying OK. The utterance uses no subject, it suppresses the agent so that it seems not only directed to the boy but
also to the others. The imperative may also have request as communicative function. Request
is a communicative function that rooted entirely or partly on the speaker‟s desire.
Below are some of the examples. 34
Come over here 8.d.1 approaching
35 Now turn around and look at me 8.d.3
facing his father 36
Excuse me, Catherine 10.e.1 listening
Example 34 is uttered by a father who wants his son to come closer to him
because he wants to speak to him on his bad behavior. As respond, the boy moves
56 closer to his father and listens to his next statements. Father intensifies his interest
to the boy. It is seen in the context of utterance Dad
: Come over here. I need to talk to you. Now turn around and look at me. I expect you to behave. I expect you to listen. Ok? Don‟t you want
to have a nice relationship with Daddy? Joseph : Yes
In the context, father shows that it is his desires to speak to him because he concerns and attends the boy‟s need.
Utterance 35 is a request from a father to his son to face him because he wants to speak to him, it may have the function of a command but in this context
the expression is more a request because the situation is more relax and the sense of obligation is low. The boy grants his father‟s request that he comes closer to his
father and faces him to listen to him. Similar to 34, in this context father shows his concerns and attends to the boy‟s interest.
Expression 36 is a request from Nanny Deb to a girl to allow her to speak to her on a situation that makes her upset. The girl wants to have a timer that is
owned by her mother. Her mother does not want her to have it, therefore, she cries and is upset. The utterance can have the function of a greeting, but in this context
it is more a request because they are already in the same room when it happens. It is a formulaic expression that shows the speech act of apologizing that Nanny Deb
would interrupt the girl who is crying at that time. The girl‟s responds by the listening to what the Nanny says. The next identified function in imperative is
giving suggestion. Some examples are presented below. 37
Show the red mark if he does not believe you 5.c.1 showing the redmark
57 38
Just take my word for it 5.c.2 Oh, I see it. Now I see it
Utterances 37 and 38 are functioned as suggestions because they give reasons
to the hearers to believe what the speaker says which then will make them do the proposition. Expression 37 is uttered by a mother to her daughter who
previously being pinched by her brother. The mother tells the boy that he should not hurt his sister, but the boy insists that he does not do it so the mother suggests
her daughter to show the mark in order to be believed by the boy. The girl shows the red mark to her brother as her mother tells her. Mother gives reason in the
utterance to mitigate the proposition of telling her to show the red mark, further it is done on the girl‟s interest because she is the one who is being protected by her
mother. It is followed with utterance 38 that the mother suggests the boy to believe her because she has enough reason to make him do what she says. The
boy responds by saying Oh, I see it. Now I see it. The use of just in the utterance modulates the impact on the hearer.
The discussion shows that directive in imperative may be obeyed when it is mitigated, such as by giving reason, also by modulated the impact on the
addressee by using certain words , and attending to the addressee‟s need and
interest as in the strategies of mitigating face threatening acts.
3. Interrogative
