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the hearer to search for an interpretation. In the case of criticism, the speaker avoids the upper points.
For example, “He‟s all right.” That is an understatement which implicates that the person the speaker is talking
about is awful or fabulous.
5. Overstating
The speaker exaggerates or chooses a point on a scale which is higher than the actual state of affairs. This strategy is saying more than what is required.
For example, “You never do your assignments.”
6. Use tautologies
By uttering a tautology, a speaker encourages hearer to look for an interpretation from non-informative utterance.
For example, “Your clothes belong to where your clothes belong, my clothes belong where my clothes belong.”
As said to the hearer as a citicism for p lacing his belonging in speaker‟s room.
7. Use contradictions
By stating two things that contradict each other, the speaker makes it appear that he or she cannot be telling the truth.
For example, “I am happy and I am not happy about that.”
8. Being ironic
A speaker can indirectly convey his or her intended meaning by saying the opposite of what he or she means, if there are clues that his or her intended
meaning is being conveyed indirectly. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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For example, “John‟s a real genius.” As said after the third person has just done something stupid.
9. Use metaphors
By using a metaphor the speaker hedges his utterance and he invites the hearer to interpret the meaning of his hedged utterance.
For example, “Tom is a real fish.” As said to convey that Tom swims like a fish or
swims well.
10. Use rhetorical questions
By using rhetorical question, the speaker asks a question with no intention of getting the answer. The speaker also invites the hearer to interpret what he
really means. For example, “How many times do I have to tell you?”
As said by the speaker as a criticism to the hearer‟s action.
11. Being ambiguous
The speaker makes purposeful ambiguity which may be achieved through metaphor and lets the hearer to guess what he or she meant.
For example, “John‟s a pretty sharp cookie.” This could be either a compliment or an insult, depending on the speaker
‟s intention of stating the connotation sharp.
12. Being vague
The speaker may go off record with an FTA by being vague who the object of the FTA is, or what the offense is.
For example, “I‟m going down the road for a bit.” As said to the local pub. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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13. Over
–generalizing
This strategy is about a conveying general rule that hearer then has to choose whether the general rule applies to him.
For example, “Mature people sometimes help to wash dishes.” As said by the speaker to convey an order or request.
14. Displacing the hearer