Illocutionary Acts in the Conversation between Jimmy Fallon and Ariana Grande

Abstract

Language is not only used to convey information but also to express specific intentions in interaction. The meaning of an utterance cannot be understood only through its linguistic form, but also through the context of its use. This phenomenon has become increasingly common with the advancement of technology, which provides various forms of public communication, including talk show programs. This study aims to identify the types of illocutionary acts, determine the dominant type, and analyze the functions of illocutionary acts in the conversation between Jimmy Fallon and Ariana Grande on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon episode entitled “Ariana Grande Talks Eternal Sunshine and Wicked, Teases Penn Badgley Music Video Cameo (Extended)”. This study employed a descriptive qualitative method. The data consisted of utterances from the conversation and were analyzed using Bach and Harnish’s theory of illocutionary acts. The findings revealed 43 illocutionary acts categorized into four types: constatives, directives, commissives, and acknowledgments. Constatives are the most dominant. In addition, 12 functions were identified, including informing, recounting, agreeing, disagreeing, confirming, describing, requesting, offering, promising, thanking, complimenting, and congratulating. These findings indicate that illocutionary acts play an important role in creating communicative and dynamic interactions in talk show conversations. Keywords: Pragmatics, Illocutionary acts, Bach and Harnish, Talk Show.