Which of the following statements expresses information use of language?

Language performs different communicative functions depending on the speaker's intent. The informative (or referential) function is used to state facts, describe people or things, or report information as a claim that can be judged true or false. This is different from the directive function, which uses commands or requests to push the listener to act, and the interrogative function, which uses questions to ask the listener to supply information.

Checking each statement against this definition: a plain declarative sentence that simply describes someone's qualities, without commanding, requesting, or asking anything, is functioning informatively. A statement describing a person as very caring and cooperative does exactly that: it reports a fact or quality about a third person that can be judged true or false, with no command, request, or question embedded in it.

• An instruction telling someone to get out of a class is an imperative sentence: it commands the listener to leave, which is the directive function of language, not the informative function.

• A question asking why someone is so late is phrased to demand an explanation from the listener: that is the interrogative function of language, which seeks information rather than stating it.

• A statement where a teacher says they request their students to be punctual is worded as a statement but performs a request aimed at changing the listeners' behaviour: it remains a directive speech act, not a report of fact.