This part of the grammar examines the communicative actions performed by utterances. We have divided the actions into general types, which you can see in the menu on the left. Under each of the general types you will find entries on the specific communicative actions.

Most action types either initiate something, or respond to something, and we call these initiating or responding actions. For example, a greeting calls for a greeting in return; a question calls for an answer; a request calls for an acceptance (or rejection) etc. These types of utterances are connected in pairs or across longer sequences. The initiating actions call for specific types of responding actions. The responding actions furthermore demonstrate an understanding of the previous action, as one which called for a certain response.

Utterances typically have a distinct grammar depending on whether they constitute an initiating or a responding action.

It is useful to know how actions are shaped and how they condition each other in Danish. It can be very insightful for students of Danish as a second language, given that they can learn how an action is performed and how it is understood correctly.

Below is a conversation-example which illustrates our division of action types: