Objective requirements of speech acts and the structure of conversation. Theoretical Linguistics, 52(1-2), 2026, 139-144.

Abstract

This commentary argues that, although the Austinian theory of speech acts does not by itself provide a comprehensive model of conversational dynamics, it can nevertheless illuminate important aspects of conversational structure when integrated with conversational analysis. Building on Marina Sbisà’s notion of objective requirements, I claim that speech-act types are defined not only by felicity conditions but also by standards of objective assessment, which determine how conversational moves may be challenged and thereby reveal participants’ uptake. Through analyses of three examples discussed by Stephen Levinson, I show that notions such as felicity conditions, objective requirements, uptake, and perlocutionary objects help explain double-barrelled conversational turns, proposal–challenge relations, and the recognition of unvoiced requests within conversational interaction.