The broader framework of speech-act theory, which Alston refines, identifies three distinct layers of an utterance:
Acts that bring about a change in status or state simply by being uttered, such as marrying a couple or adjourning a meeting. Key Components of a Speech Act Illocutionary Acts and Sentence Meaning
Alston’s central thesis is that for a sentence to have a particular meaning is for it to be to perform illocutionary acts of a matching type. The broader framework of speech-act theory, which Alston
Meaning is determined by a sentence's potential to play the role a speaker intended. The broader framework of speech-act theory