Austin (1955) highlighted a conceptual gap in the understanding of speech. Not only do we utter words, what he calls
‘locutions’, but we also act with our speech. These acts he categorizes as perlocutionary and illocutionary. Of these
two, the former is relatively easy to understand. We utter certain words in order that they bring about certain effects.
If I shout ‘me, here’ or ‘no defense’ in a basketball game, then this will notice my teammates to pass me the ball; if a
referee in a soccer game cries, “offside!” , this utterance will cause the striker to stop running to shot the ball; if a
coach in a sports game calls the off-court official to use a substitution player, the official will immediately raise a
shining plate which informs the player on court who is called to be replaced and need to come back to rest on the
bench; if a player on a football pitch suddenly cries out, “ injury” or “help” , it means he/she cannot play any longer,
and the stretcher or ambulance car quickly shows to carry the injured player off court to get an immediate treatment;
if a soccer player or manager shouts out complaints to a referee’s judgment by using humiliating or insulting words,
he/she will immediately get a red warning card and be sent to auditorium or directly to the locker room, deprived of
ensuing participation in the ongoing game. So our speech can be described in terms of the simple sounds omitted
(locutions), and as an act to bring about various consequences (perlocutions). However, and this is Austin’s key
insight, speech can be thought of as an act in-and-of itself. This is what he calls “illocution”.