Request Strategies Request and Request Strategies
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1 Openers
Openers function to alert hearer’s attention to ensure a speech act. Most of the openers are realized as terms of address.
Table 1. Openers in Requests
Openers Strategies
Description and example
Upgrading function
Enhancing respectfulness and formality: ‘General Manager Wang, surname + title.
Downgrading function
Downgrading the hearer: ‘Hey, son’ Neutral
‘Hey’
2 Head acts main request acts
Head acts are classified into three main levels in relation to the degree of directness, they are: a direct head acts comprise mood derivable, performatives,
obligation statements, and want statements; b conventionally indirect head acts are made up of suggestory formula and the query preparatory; and c non-
conventionally indirect head acts consist of strong hints and mild hints. The details of the head acts modifications are discussed in table 2 along with the samples of the
utterances.
Table 2. Head Acts in Requests Directness levels
Strategies Description and example
Level 1 Direct Head Acts
impositives Mood derivable
The grammatical mood imperative used in this form is conventionally regarded as a request. For example:
‘Don’t tell him’ and ‘Leave your contact details.’ Performatives
The speaker conveys the illocutionary intent by using a relevant illocutionary verb, making the
utterance an order, a plea or begging. For example: ‘I order you to set out at once’ and ‘I beg you to give
it back to me.’
Obligation statement
The speaker conveys the illocutionary intent by stating moral obligation directly. For example: ‘You
should come back earlier’ and You must submit it tomorrow.’
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Want statement The speaker conveys the illocutionary intent by
asserting a particular want, desire, or wish. For example: ‘I want to borrow money from you’ and ‘I
want to know Tahay’s contact details.
Level 2 Conventionally
Indirect Head Acts Suggestory
formulae The speaker conveys the illocutionary intent
expressed as a suggestion. For example: ‘How about
not going today?’ and ‘How about postponing your holiday?’
Query preparatory The utterances contains a preparatory question
referring to the feasibility of the request, including asking the hearer’s ability, willingness, permission,
possibility or convenience to perform the act. For example: ‘Can you lend your mobile phone?’ and
‘Can you record that right now?’
Level 3 Non-
conventionally Indirect Head Acts
Hints Strong hints
While the illocutionary intent is not expressed overtly, the speaker provides strong clues for the
hearer to construe the request. For example: ‘This room is very hot’ intent: asking the addressee to turn
the air conditioner or to open the window and ‘Why do you touch my things?’ intent: asking the
addressee not to take his books
Mild hints The speaker conveys the illocutionary intent by
providing less strong clues, but it is still interpretable as a request with the help context. Greater
inferencing is required on the part of the hearer. For
example: ‘Are you busy?’ intent: asking the addressee to turn on the air conditioner or to open the
window and ‘The one we usually use was here’ intent: asking the addressee to return the stamp to
him
3 Internal modifications
The internal modification is a part of head act, and plays a role in minimizing or intensifying the illocutionary force of a request act, as a downgrader
or upgrader. Here, the internal modifications are subcategorized into syntacticlexical downgraders and lexical upgraders.
a Lexical modifications
Lexical modifications are used to minimize or maximize the impositive force of a request by modifying the head act internally using various lexical items
which are divided into lexical downgraders and upgraders. The details are discussed in table 3.
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Table 3. Lexical Modifications in Requests Lexical
modifications Strategies
Description and example
Lexical downgraders
Politeness marker
Polite and respectful expressions are needed for request to seek cooperation from the hearer. For example: ‘excuse me’,
‘please’. Meanwhile, terms of address as politeness markers are also used like ‘Sir’ or ‘Miss’.
Downtoner Particles are used at the end of a sentence to minimize the
impact of the request. For example: ‘well……you know,
but…. …then’. Subjectivizer
The speaker states explicitly that what shehe says as their subjective opinion, to diminish the assertive tone of the
request. For example: ‘I think… I feel… I believe…’ Understater
Adverbial modifiers are used to under-represent the state of affairs of the request. For example: ‘a little’ and ‘some’
Appealer This is used to appeal to hearer’s understanding and to elicit
a response. It is used at the end of the sentence, often in the form of tag question. For example: ‘……., OK?’
Honorific Respectful terms are used to express deference and politeness
which classified into honorific device e.g. Mr.Mr. Ms. and honorific addressee speech level formal or informal
Hesitation marker
Insertions are used to reduce the compelling tone by delaying voicing a request like ‘well…. uh….’
Delimiter It is used to under-represent the state of affairs conveyed in
request like ‘only only once’ Hedge
Vague expressions are used to tone down and avoid potential provocation request. For example: ‘possiblyprobably’,
‘perhaps’, ‘seem’, ‘just’, etc.
Lexical upgdraders
Commitment indicator
Sentence modifiers are used to heighten the degree of speaker’s commitment regarding the state of affairs conveyed
in the request. For example: ‘definitely’, ‘surely’, etc. Repetition of
request An expression is repeated literally or by paraphrasing to
emphasize the importance of carrying out the request. For example: ‘Come here Come here quickly’
Time intensifier
Time phrases are used to stress the urgency of the request. For example: ‘right now’, ‘hurriedly’, ‘quickly’, etc.
b Syntactic downgraders
Syntactic downgraders are chosen to modify head acts internally by diminishing the impositive force of a request using various syntactical forms.
Table 4. Syntactical Modifications in Requests
Syntactical modifications
Strategies Description and example
Conditional The using of conditional sentence, like: ‘if…..’
Reduplication of verb
Some verbs are reduplicated, like: ‘chit-chat’, etc. Interogative
The using of ‘?’ as question mark.
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4 External Modifications Supportive Moves
The external modifications are not the part of head acts, but often precede or follow a head act. They are used to mitigate or aggravate speech act. The types
of the external modifications of requests are displayed in the following table.
Table 5. External Modifications in Requests External
modifications Strategies
Description and example
Downgrading external
modifications Preparator
Prior to making a request, the speaker prepares by asking hisher potential availability or permission for
carrying out the request. For example: ‘I have something to say to you’ and ‘May I ask you
something?’ Grounder
The speaker gives reasons, explanations, and justification for the request. For example: ‘I lost my
wallet, can you lend me some money?’ and ‘There is a wedding at 3 o’clock, so come by 11 o’clock’.
Cost minimizer The speaker attempts to reduce the burden of the
request on the hearer. For example: ‘I will return it to you tomorrow’ and ‘It won’t take long’.
Promise of reward The speaker promises a reward in a bid to get the
hearer’s compliance with the request. For example: ‘Do me a favor this time’, ‘allow me to treat you’
and ‘I will treat you’. Apology
The speaker apologizes for the trouble that the potential request may cause. For example: ‘Sorry’
and ‘I am sorry, but…’ Humbling oneself
The speaker blames and lowers himherself to elicit the hearer’s sympathy. For example: ‘I can’t handle
this well, can you help me?’ and ‘I think I’m not capable of doing this task…
Self introduction By introducing oneself, the request can be done. For
example: ‘I am a student of Beijing University’ and ‘I am from the Management Department’
Gratitude The speaker expresses gratitude to the hearer for the
expected compliance with the request. For example: ‘Thank you for your cooperation’ and ‘I’d appreciate
it if you could help me’. Begging for help
The speaker tries to elicit the hearer’s compliance with the request by expressing obvious appeal. For
example: ‘I beg you’ Sweetener
The speaker compliments the hearer’s ability regarding the
potential request. For example: ‘I know you are very good at making money’ and ‘No
one can do this work as well as you’ Disarmer
The speaker attempts to eliminate any possible refusal to the potential request from the hearer. For
example: I know you don’t have time, but…’ and ‘I know it is very difficult, but…’
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External modifications
Strategies Description and example
Downgrading external
modifications Asking the
hearer’s opinion To make request more acceptable, the speaker elicits
the hearer’s opinion. For example: ‘How about it?’, ‘Is that OK to you?’, and ‘What do you think?’
Joking A joke is used to reduce the tension, attempting to
make the request more acceptable. For example: ‘I don’t want to let you move…’ Note: the boss said
the sentence tongue in cheek
Upgrading external
modifications Reprimanding
The speaker uses criticizing statements to increase the impositive force of the request. For example:
‘Why can only you do these?’ and ‘This one is wrong. Don’t you know?’
Confirmation of request
In order to obtain compliance from the hearer, the speaker highlights the request by checking if the
hearer understand it. For example: ‘Confirm that document again. Are you clear about what I said?’
and ‘You should hand it by tomorrow. When can you do it?’
Moralizing By citing general moral maxims, the speaker
attempts to get the hearer to agree to the request. For example: ‘Is your behavior appropriate?’ and ‘This
is good for everyone, so…’