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3. Maxim of Relevance Hedges
Because of the sensitivity of topic changes as impositions on H’s face, such changes are often done off record. Hedges that mark the
change, and perhaps partially apologize for it, include This may not be appropriate, but…, Since it’s been on my mind…, Sorry, I’ve just
thought… and many more.
4. Maxim of Manner Hedges
Manner hedges can be used to redress all kinds of FTAs. Some common Manner hedges include: if you see what I mean, what I mean
was…, now, to be absolutely clear, I want…
c Hedges addressed to politeness strategies. Functioning directly as notices
of violations of face wants. Such as, frankly, to be honest, I hate to have to say this…
d Prosodic and kinesic hedges. Most of the verbal hedges can be replaced
by prosodic or kinesic means of indicating tentativeness or emphasis. The raised eyebrow, the earnest frown, the umms and ahhs and hesitations that
indicate the S’s attitude toward what he is saying, are often the most salient clue to the presence of an FTA.
c. Don’t coerce H
Another ways of redressing H’s negative face want is used when the proposed FTA involves predicating an act of H, for instance, when requesting his
aid, or offering him something which requires his accepting.
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Strategy 3: Be pessimistic
This strategy gives redress to H’s negative face by explicitly expressing doubt that the conditions for the appropriateness of S’s speech act obtain. The use of
subjunctive seems also to be related to the satisfaction of this want, e.g. Would you do X? Other way of polite pessimism can also be expressed in negative
usage like I don’t imagine there’d be any chance of you… and in the use of pessimistic hedges like Perhaps, you’d care to help me.
Strategy 4: Minimize the imposition, R
x
One way of defusing the FTA is to indicate that Rx, the intrinsic seriousness of the imposition, is not in itself great, leaving only D and P as possible weighty
factors. So indirectly this may pay H deference. This is achieved by expression like I just want ask you if you could lend me a single sheet of paper.
Strategy 5: Give deference
By conveying directly the perception of a high P differential, deference serves to defuse potential face-threatening acts by indicating that the addressee’s rights
to relative immunity from imposition are recognized and moreover that S is certainly not in a position to coerce H’s compliance in any way. By using referent
honorifics about something associated with H, such as eatdine, mangentleman, SnuggsDr. Snugss, one gives respect to H. For example: We look forward very
much to dining with you.
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Furthermore, Daniel Fallon explained that there are two different possibilities to realize the deference: 1 S humbles and abases himself, 2 S raises and H
pays him positive face of a particular namely that which satisfies H´s want to be treated superior. E.g.
Yes, sir, I thought perhaps you wouldn´t mind and...“
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d. Communicate S’s want to not impinge on H
One way to partially satisfy H’s negative-face demands is to indicate that S is aware of them and taking them into account in his decision to communicate the
FTA.
Strategy 6: Apologize
By apologizing for doing an FTA, the speaker can indicate his reluctance to impinge on H’s negative face and thereby partially redress that impingement. To
do this, there are four ways to communicate regret or reluctance.
a Admit the impingement. S can simply admit that he is impinging on H’s
face, with expression like I’m sure you must be very busy, but…
b Indicate reluctance. S can attempt to show that he is reluctant to impinge on
H with the use of hedges or by means of expressions such as I normally wouldn’t ask you this, but…
c Give overwhelming reasons. S can claim that he has compelling reasons
for doing the FTA, thereby implying that normally he wouldn’t dream of infringing H’s negative face. For example: I simply can’t manage to…
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Fallon, Daniel. Positive and Negative Politeness. Hildesheim: Hildesheim University Press. 2004. p.24
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d Beg forgiveness. S may beg H’s forgiveness, or at least ask for ‘acquittal’,
that H should cancel the debt implicit in the FTA. E.g. I’m sorry to bother you…, I hope you’ll forgive me if…
Strategy 7: Impersonalize S and H
One way of indicating that S doesn’t want to impinge on H is to phrase the FTA as if the agent were other that S, or at least possibly not S or not S alone,
and the addressee were other than H, or only inclusive of H.
Strategy 8: State the FTA as a general rule
One way of dissociating S and H from the particular imposition in the FTA, and hence a way of communicating that S doesn’t want to impinge but is merely
force to by circumstances, is to state the FTA as an instance of some general social rule, regulation, or obligation. The example below is shown that the first
sentence avoids pronoun rather than the second sentence. A : Passengers will please refrain from flushing toilets on the train.
B : You will please refrain from flushing toilets on the train.
Strategy 9: Nominalize
In English, degrees of negative politeness or at least formality run hand in hand with degrees of nouniness; that is, formality is associated with the noun end
of the continuum. Consider the following examples:
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a You performed well on the examinations and we were favourably impressed.
b Your good performance on the examinations impressed us favourably.
With nominalizing the subject, S can get sentence more formal like in sentence b.
e. Redress other wants of H’s
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