** Classify the following sentences as statements or non-statements. If the
sentence is a non-statement, then also try to determine what kind of nonstatement the sentence is (i.e., Directive/Imperative, Expressive/Exclamatory,
Interrogative, Speech Act/Performative). Please note: some of these are very
easy; some of these are very difficult. The difficult exercises are included
deliberately. Do not worry: the first test will NOT include such difficult
examples/exercises. Here is an example of two answers:
1. statement
2. non-statement/expressive **
1. Whoo Whee!
2. The general will see you now.
3. What’s for breakfast?
4. You sure are a dope, aren’t you?
5. Is it not true that you were at the 7-11 at nine o’clock pm?
6. Salt is NaCl.
7. There are fifty-four states in the union.
8. Puerto Rico is a state (in USA).
9. Come over here.
10. The Jets are better than the Giants.
11. The AFC will win the Super Bowl.
12. I hereby knight you Sir Geoffrey Warnock.
13. The Amazon River is in Brazil.
14. Wow!
15. Wow, you look hot!
16. The British are coming!
17. The British are coming.
18. Stick this in your pipe and smoke it.
19. Stick this in your bag, please.
20. Roughly, seventy-five percent of the earth’s surface is water.
21. Let’s party!
22. If George comes in today, give him his paycheck.
23. If George is not in, then Henry is home.
24. Would that it was raining!
25. We would like you to come to our party tonight.
Answers to Hand-out Exercises
I deliberately put difficult exercises in this assignment in order to demonstrate to students the
richness of natural language, and the potential problems that exist in classifying sentences.
Please remember that on test or examinations I avoid putting very tricky or difficult exercises.
The main concern is for you to be able to determine whether sentences are statements or nonstatements for the purpose of determining whether one is confronted with an argument or nonargument (arguments being one of the central concerns of logic).
When classifying sentences that admit of being able to be classified into more than one
category/kind/type, one must consider the primary context in which such a sentence would be
uttered. By primary context, I mean when and how most often the sentence would be uttered in
our culture by a competent speaker of English. A different context may demand a different
classification.
1. Non-statement-Expressive. This is an easy one.
2. One may prefer a slight alteration to # 2: “The doctor will see you now.” In the primary
context in which such a sentence would be uttered this sentence is best classified as Nonstatement-Directive. Essentially, such a sentence commands someone to come in, or follow the
speaker to the general’s (or doctor’s) office. However, it should be noted that it is possible for
this sentence to be a statement because it meets both criteria (NP + VP and truth-value). This is
a difficult exercise.
3. Non-statement-Interrogative. Easy one.
4. Statement. This is rhetorical question. Consequently, it should be re-written as a declarative
sentence and classified as a statement. “You are a dope.”
5. Statement. Rhetorical question. Re-write: “You were at the 7-11 at nine o’clock pm.”
6. Statement. Easy one.
7. Statement. Easy one.
8. Statement. Easy one.
9. Non-statement-Directive/Imperative. Easy one.
10. Statement. This example reveals that we treat all judgments as statements. Moral, political,
aesthetic, and other value judgments are statements because although it may be difficult to
determine the truth-value (one needs to set up criteria and look at evidence), judgments can be
true or false.
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11. Statement. Predictions are statements even though no one at the time of uttering knows the
truth-value. Predictions are still true or false. Time will determine whether a predictive
statement was/is true or false.
12. Non-statement-Speech Act. Action accomplished: knighting. Slightly difficult.
13. Statement.
14. Non-statement-Expressive.
15. Non-statement-Expressive. In most contexts that such a sentence would be uttered, this
sentence would function as expressive. Two pieces of evidence suggest that this should be
classified as non-statement here: the use of “wow,” and the exclamation point. However, it
should be noted that under rare (and odd) circumstances, this could function as a statement
because it has NP + VP and can have a truth-value (where “hot” mean beautiful or sexy or
attractive). If the person is “hot,” then it is true; if not “hot,” then false. But that would be rare.
16. Non-statement-Speech Act and/or Directive. As uttered by Paul Revere in the original
context. Difficult.
17. Statement.
18. Non-statement-Expressive. This sentence expresses a derogatory emotive meaning toward
whom it is said. Could this ever be a Directive sentence? Yes, for example, at a crack party.
Someone might say “Put this [crack cocaine] in your pipe (literally a smoking pipe of some kind,
jury-rigged or not) and smoke it.” Other than that, it is Expressive most of the time. It means
(roughly) the equivalent of “Shove it!” or “Go to hell!”
19. Non-statement-Directive. Easy.
20. Statement. Easy.
21. Non-statement-Expressive or Directive.
22. Non-statement-Directive. The “if” does not change anything here.
23. Statement. This is called a “conditional statement.” We will learn much about them in
future chapter sections.
24. Non-statement-Expressive. This sentence is in the optative mood: the mood of expressing
wishes. It is grammatically correct. Difficult.
25. Non-statement-Speech Act if uttered for first time. Thereafter, the sentence could function as
Non-statement-Expressive. Difficult.
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