22
The example above contains presupposed knowledge of and concern for H‟s wants. By acknowledging what H wants, S is minimizing threat to H‟s
positive face. The example above indicates that S and H are friends and S knows exactly what H wants. The conversation shows that H likes marshmallows and as
S‟ concern, S brings a whole box of marshmallows for H. It is a positive politeness before S is actually says his purposes of meeting H. By doing so, the
chance that H will help S will be bigger. j Offer and promise something
Offer and promise something is a politeness strategy to minimize the threat to H‟s positive face. The example of this politeness strategy is in the sentence:
S: I’ll take you out to dinner on Saturday. If you’ll cook the dinner this
evening. The example above contains an offer and promise from S to H. According to
Watt 2003, 89 offering or promising something is a strategy to get H‟s attention. By offering or promising something that H really wants to have is also one way to
minimize the thr eat to H‟s positive face. Promising something creates easiness
between S and the H. The example above shows that S is offering a dinner and S promises that the dinner will be on Saturday. But by doing the offer and the
promise, S hopes that H will be agree to do something, that is to cook meals in the evening. The use of offer and promise is minimizing the threat toward H‟s
positive face so that H is willingly to do what S wants.
23
k Be optimistic that the hearer wants what the speaker wants, i.e. that the FTA is slight
Be optimistic that H wants the same thing as S is another way of doing positive politeness. The example of this politeness strategy is in the sentence:
S: I know you’re always glad to get a tip or two on gardening. So, if I
were you, I wouldn’t cut your lawn back so short.
The example above contains optimism. Having the same perception
toward something can help to minimize a threat to H‟s positive face. In the
example above, S is really optimistic about what H‟s wants. S is really sure that H wants to get a tip or two on the gardening work he does. S knows that H is not
really good in gardening. However, to directly showing what H to do is impolite because it will like giving orders. To minimize the threat to H‟s face and to soften
the tips given, S is employing the same perception they head before S is imposing an idea that it is not necessary to cut the lawn so short.
l Include both S and H in the activity Including H in the S‟ activity is also a good strategy to minimize threat to
H‟s positive face. The example of this positive politeness strategy is in the sentence:
S : I‟m feeling really hungry. Let’s stop for a bite.
The example above contains an activity that is done together by S and H. Inc
luding H in S‟ activity is a great way to do positive politeness. It minimizes the threat toward the H‟s positive face. In the example above, S manipulated the
subject of an activity which is done together. S uses an inclusive „we‟ from let‟s
means “you‟ and „me‟, by including H in the activity; S minimizes the threat to H‟s positive face and makes bigger the chance that H will agree to what S is going
