In this paper I shall try to give a clear view of how this vigorous and powerful form of speech works. Most past work on this question has given primacy to the act concept. When she signals by waving her arm, she gives a signal (an act) and she gives or produces an arm-wave (also an act), and it has commonly been thought that the "by"-statement reports that a certain relation obtains between these acts.' I shall call this "the simple act proposal" regarding the "by"-locution. It says: