communicative function

communicative function (kommunikativ funksjon): the function of any sentence/ sentence fragment in communication, e.g. question, statement, command, apology, request. In other words, the communicative function of a sentence (fragment) reflects what the speaker wants to do with the utterance; how s/he wants the hearer to respond. The communicative function of a sentence can be worked out partly from its form (though there is no one-to-one correspondence between sentence form and communicative function), and partly from intonation (in speech) or from the context of the sentence. Communicative functions have also been described as giving or demanding information or goods and services (by means of language).