8 Joking to put the hearer at ease
The speaker of positive politeness can show solidarity and familiarity to the hearer by making a joke which will make the hearer feel relieve. The
speaker can also minimize the demand as in this sentence: 2:11 A:
Great summer we’re having. It’s only rained five times a week on average
.
B: Yeah, terrible, isn’t it?
A: Could I ask you for a favour?
Watts, 2003:89 In that conversation, the speaker is trying to amuse the hearer by
telling a joke about the season. A says that they are having a great summer which is only rained five times a week on average. It means that almost all
days of that summer are rained. Therefore, it should not be a great summer. The speaker makes a joke to minimize the demand when he or she is asking B
for a favour.
9 Asserting or presupposing knowledge of and concerning for hearer’s
wants
In applying this strategy, the speaker shows his or her solidarity by emphasizing that he or she knows personal information about the hearer. The
speaker also tries to fulfil what the hearer’s wants to show that the speaker is
cooperated with the hearer. By fulfill ing the hearer’s wants, the speaker can
safe the hearer’s positive face. An example of this strategy is presented below.
2:12 I know you like marshmallows, so I’ve brought you home a whole
box of them. I wonder if I could ask you for a favour…
Watts, 2003:89
This sentence shows the cooperation stressed by the speaker. He or she indicates the personal information about the hearer. The speaker knows
that the hearer like marshmallows so he gives a whole box of them to the hearer. Thus, the hearer
’s positive face has been satisfied because he or she has been appreciated and accepted by the speaker.
10 Offering, promising
In order to minimize the potential threat and to show that the hearer and the speaker are cooperated, the speaker can offer or promise something to
the hearer. The speaker may state that the speaker certainly does something for the hearer
. This strategy shows the speaker’s good intention in satisfying the hearer’s wants. It can be seen in this example:
2:13
I’ll take you out to dinner on Saturday if you’ll cook the dinner this
evening. Watts, 2003:89
This example shows that the speaker conveys to the hearer that they are cooperated. The speaker stresses his or her cooperation by promising to
the hearer that he or she takes the hearer out to dinner on Saturday. This expression can minimize the imposition when the speaker asks the hearer to
cook the dinner that evening. Thus, the hearer ’s positive face has been
fulfilled because the speaker has appreciated him or her.
11 Being optimistic that the hearer wants what the speaker wants
In expressing positive politeness, the speaker can also apply the strategy of being optimistic that the hearer wants what the speaker wants.
T he speaker saves the hearer’s positive face by being optimistic that the
hearer wants to do something as the speaker wants. In this case, the hearer cooperated with the speaker because they share same interest. The following
sentence exemplifies this strategy: 2:14
I know you’re always glad to get a tip or two on gardening, Fred, so, if I were you, I wouldn’t cut your lawn back so short.
Watts, 2003:89 In this utterance, the speaker asks the hearer not to cut his or her lawn
back so short. The speaker assumes that the hearer cooperated with him because both of them like gardening. It shows that the speaker has
appreciated the hearer and satisfied the hearer’s positive face.
12 Including both S and H in the activity
In order to include both the interlocutors in the activity, the speaker can use the pronoun
“we”. Thus, the speaker has appreciated the hearer as a member of the same
group and safe the hearer’s positive face. The speaker can do this strategy by saying this sentence:
2:15
I’m feeling really hungry. Let’s stop for a bit.
Watts, 2003:89 In the provided example, the speaker wants the hearer to stop because
he or she wants to eat something. The use of the pronoun “us” in that
sentence shows that the speaker includes the hearer in his or her activity. It makes the request more polite because it indicates the cooperation between
the speaker and the hearer that the goals not only for the speaker but also for both of them.
