A typology of speech acts for British English

 

macro class	world/word relationship	psychological state expressed	differences in point or purpose
representatives	commit speaker to something being the case, so as to fit the words to the world	believe that p	swear, hypothesise, claim, announce, insist, forecast, predict
directives	attempt to get H to do something, so as to fit the world to the words	want that p	ask, beg, command, bid, order, forbid, recommend, suggest, invite, challenge, direct, instruct, request
expressives	express a psychological state (no dynamic word/world relationship)		apologise, thank, deplore, pardon, congratulate, regret, commiserate
commissives	commit speaker to act, so as to fit the world to the words	intend that p	promise, pledge, swear, volunteer, offer, vow, threaten
declarations	by uttering you actually fit the world to the words		wed, baptise, christian, name, define, call, dub, abbreviate
based on Coulthard (1985: 24-25 )