Which is a verbal act (words are operative) example?

• A. The defendant stated that he would pay
• B. The car is red
• C. He is guilty
• D. I think it is raining

Answer: (A)

Verbal acts are actions performed by the very act of speaking; a promise is a classic example because the words themselves create a binding obligation. In this sentence, the defendant’s statement to pay is a promise—the act of promising is accomplished through the speech, not merely by describing something or expressing a belief. The other statements are descriptive or expressive: describing the car’s color, asserting guilt as a conclusion, or sharing a belief about the weather. They don’t perform an obligation or action via the words themselves, so they aren’t verbal acts.