There is a clear difference between statements that describe and statements that command. This idea was developed by the british linguist J.L. Austin. He defines this distinction as two separate parts of speech: Constatives : They are sentences that describe something as True or False. Performatives : They are sentences that denote an action, rather that conveying a message they act upon the world. They depend on Felicity Conditions : Context and Reception . These are the rules under which the performatives can be enacted. They are fairly logical, the performative should be: Authoritative Understood Clear Able to understand If it doesn´t meet these conditions, then it doesn´t have the power to denote action. But just because a performative meets its conditions and it´s clearly stated, it doesn´t mean that it is implicitly followed. Speech Acts: When words are actions. These actions include (but are not limited to): Ordering Promi...