57 38
Just take my word for it 5.c.2 Oh, I see it. Now I see it
Utterances 37 and 38 are functioned as suggestions because they give reasons
to the hearers to believe what the speaker says which then will make them do the proposition. Expression 37 is uttered by a mother to her daughter who
previously being pinched by her brother. The mother tells the boy that he should not hurt his sister, but the boy insists that he does not do it so the mother suggests
her daughter to show the mark in order to be believed by the boy. The girl shows the red mark to her brother as her mother tells her. Mother gives reason in the
utterance to mitigate the proposition of telling her to show the red mark, further it is done on the girl‟s interest because she is the one who is being protected by her
mother. It is followed with utterance 38 that the mother suggests the boy to believe her because she has enough reason to make him do what she says. The
boy responds by saying Oh, I see it. Now I see it. The use of just in the utterance modulates the impact on the hearer.
The discussion shows that directive in imperative may be obeyed when it is mitigated, such as by giving reason, also by modulated the impact on the
addressee by using certain words , and attending to the addressee‟s need and
interest as in the strategies of mitigating face threatening acts.
3. Interrogative
a. Disobeyed Utterances
The adult utterances in this mood are categorized into three communicative functions, they are giving suggestion by 11.1, threat by 22.2 , and question by
66.7. Below is the summary of the communicative function.
58 Table 4.5 The Communicative Function in Disobeyed Interrogative
No Communicative function
Numbers Percentage
1 Suggest
1 11.1
2 Threat
2 22.2
3 Question
6 66.7
Total 9
100
Out of 9 utterances, 6 are taken as examples based on their form. The first identified communicative function in disobeyed interrogative is giving suggestion.
Example is given below. 39
Gabriella, why don‟t we put it this way? 14.i.1 I’m gonna poke you in the eye raise her hands to dad
The context of utterance 39 is two girls who are coloring together and each of them wants to own the crayon for themselves. The father tells them to share the
crayon. He gives suggestion by uttering 39 to the girls to put crayon in the middle so that each of them can reach the crayon easily.
Father‟s suggestion is rejected by one of the girls, Gabriella, by saying
I’m gonna poke you in the eye because in the current condition she is the one who has the power over the crayon
and her father has disrupt her possession, although father has included both the speaker and the hearer in the proposition to mitigate the face threatening act. The
next communicative function in the disobeyed interrogative is giving threat. Below are some of the examples.
40 You want pepper on your mouth? 14.e.1
moves away from her mother 41
Do you want it? 14.e.3 covers her mouth with her hands
59 Example 40 and 41 is taken from a scene with the context of a mother who
wants her children to listen to what she says, however the children keep on playing and do not pay attention to their mother. Therefore, in her effort to make
the children listen to her, she threats the children. She utters 40 after one of the girl, Giana, spits on her as a form of rejection. Mother imposes her will to Giana.
The utterance is a thr eatening act to the girl‟s negative face. It is followed with
utterance 41 which functions more as a threat rather than a question to find the girls‟ opinion because after that mother really puts the pepper on Giana‟s mouth.
Giana‟s form of challenge over her mother is by spitting the pepper and saying You burned my mouth. It is another negative face threatening act because mother
is interfere the child‟s freedom of action. The next communicative function is giving question. Question is given to
find ou t the hearer‟s opinion or feeling. Below are some examples on the function.
42 What do you think your Dad would have done? 16.k.1
I would listen, but I wouldn’t listen to you. 43
Would he told you to go to your room? 16.k.2 I would listen, but I wouldn’t listen to you.
44 Why did you bite him, Jack? 5.a.1
He hit me Examples 42 is a question expressed by a mother to her son to ask for his
opinion on what his father would have done if the boy does bad thing. The context is that the boy does not want to obey his mother‟s command to behave better. The
boy is angry because he would rather be with his father than his mother. The question 43 is functioned to ask for the boy‟s agreement over what his father
would have done if he was with them, it is clarified by the mother‟s next utterance that father would tell him to go to his room. Beside as questions, both 42 and
60 43 are also functioned as reminder to the boy to his father‟s rules. Mother is
rejected by the boy that he says I would listen but I wouldn’t listen to you. He
would listen if it was his father who tells him to go to his room, but he would not listen to his mother. This is because he has already accustomed to the condition
of not obeying his mother as a form of anger over his father‟s death. Complying with his mother will change his present feeling and custom. Example 44 is
uttered by a mother to his son who previously bit his brother. This question demands the boy‟s information on the matter. At the same time it implies that
biting his brother is not an appropriate action. The boy answers He hit me to m
other‟s question. This expresses the boy‟s judgement that what he does is appropriate. He bites his brother because his brother has hit him. It is his freedom
of action that is being interfered. The discussion illustrates that directives in interrogative may be disobeyed
when the intended action has a high cost. Included in high cost action are interference
with the addressee‟s current activity or belief and feeling. Although the directive is given in a polite way, when it has high cost, the addressee would
not comply the directive. Ervin-Tripp 1984 asserts that adults may not reject request which is expressed in polite way, but children may not comply such
directive. b.
Obeyed Utterances In the obeyed interrogative utterances, the identified communicative functions
are giving offer by 30.8 , question by 53.8 and requests by 15.4.
61 Table 4.6 The Communicative Function in Obeyed Interrogative
No Communicative function
Numbers Percentage
1 Offer
4 30.8
2 Question
7 53.8
3 Request
2 15.4
Total 13
100
Out of 13 utterances, 10 are taken out as examples. The choice is based on their forms. The first communicative function in the obeyed interrogative utterances is
giving offer. 45
You want me to be there? 14.m.1. listening
46 You want me to treat you nice? 14.m.3
listening 47
Do you need to have some time in your room or would you like to play with your sisters downstairs? 10.f.4
Play downstairs… 48
Don‟t you want to have a nice relationship with Daddy? 8.d.6 Yes
Utterances 45 and 46 are expressed by a father to his daughter in the context of
the father giving advice to the girl to behave better. Utterance 45 is an offer from the father to always be there for the girl even after she grown up. It is followed
with utterance 46 as an offer from the father to always treat her nice instead of always angry at her. Both 45 and 46 are on the condition that the girl behaving
better. The girl responds by crying as a form of regret. Father gives the question to kno
w what the girl‟s wants, simultaneously it expresses that he concerns with what the girl wants and attends them, thus it mitigates the face threatening acts on
the girl. Similar to 45 and 46 is utterance 48, it is an utterance by a father to his son offering a nice relationship if the boy behaves better. The boy responds by
saying Yes to the offer. The utterance shows that father notices and attends that
62 actually the boy want to have a good relationship with his father. Example 47 is
uttered by Nanny Deb to a girl after talking to the girl calming and reminding her to behave well. After the girl being calmed, Nanny Deb offers her to choose
whether to stay in her room or to play with her sister. The girl answers Play downstairs… Nanny Deb gives the girl a chance to choose between the two
choices. It is a recognition to the girl‟s freedom of choosing. The examples are functioned as offer; therefore, the hearer has the chance to decline the offer.
However, the speaker also has the obligation to grant their offers. The next communicative function is giving question. Some examples are
given below. 49
And you gonna listen? 1.l.1 Yes.
50 Tell me why? 10.e.6
I want that….crying and pointing at her mommy 51
Hey, can I just ask you something? 13.f.1 listening
52 Did your Dad pinch you and nobody was looking? 13.f.4
listening Examples 49 to 52 are functioned as question. They are intended to know the
hearer‟s opinion or feeling on the asked condition. The context of 49 is Nanny Deb‟s question to the girl whether she would listen, in this case to follow Nanny
Deb and her m other‟s rule. It can also function as a command to obey the rule,
however, it is more a question because the hearer‟s opinion is being considered. The girl answers Yes. Utterance 50 is asked by Nanny Deb to a girl who cries to
know the reason she is crying, the girl answers that she cries because she wants to have her mother‟s timer. Example 51 is questioned by Nanny Stella to a boy
whether he allows her to speak to him. Besides a question, it can also function as
63 an asking for permission from the boy , however, it requires the boy to answer it.
Utterance 52 is uttered by Nanny Stella to the boy to ask for his opinion on the matter, whether he is previously pinched by his father and nobody concerns on
that matter. It is also to find out his feeling on the matter. The boy is angry at his father, therefore, he leaves the dining room and goes to his own room.
The next communicative function in obeyed interrogative is giving request. The examples are given below.
53 Would you do me a favour? 13.f.5
listening 54
Can you go back to the table and finish your lunch? 13.f.6 OK
Examples 53 and 54 are request from Nanny Stella to a boy to comply her
desire and at the same time also asking for his consent to do what she wants. Utterance 53 followed by 54 is requesting the boy‟s permission to help Nanny
Stella to go back to the table and finish lunch. Actually, it is also a form of command for the boy to go back to the table and finish his lunch in a more polite
way because at first she asks for the boy‟s consent on the matter. He answers OK to Nanny Stella proposition. Both utterances use consultative devices Would
you… and Can you… to attempt for the boy‟s cooperation and involvement. The above discussion indicates that to seek for the addressee‟s compliance,
the directive may be expressed in a way to seek for their consent and permission. It is a form of acknowledgement to their freedom of action and choice. The
directive may be guided to the intention of the speaker.
64
B. THE STRATEGIES USED TO GAIN RESPECT AND OBEDIENCE
