because she feels that she makes a mistake to Ben. The intention of Jules‘s
utterance is requesting Ben to go back to the office with her. Jules‘s utterance belongs to unconventionally indirect request because it depends on the intimate
relationship between requester and requestee which are related. In eve ryday‘s life,
Ben always becomes a driver of Jules. Therefore, in the situation of Datum 16, Jules feels guilty to Ben. Jules requests Ben to go back to the office together
although she knows that Ben has a duty to escort her back to the office. Thus, by saying the utterance, Jules ensures Ben really wants to go back to the office.
In fact, unconventionally indirect request is rarely used by the main characters to avoid misleading between other characters. Thus, the main
characters only use 4 times to indirectly question in order to be polite to the requestee. Thus, it can be concluded that a requester is not asserting the request to
the requestee.
b. Conventionally indirect request based on the hearer
When applying this type of request, the requestee has to control the request kindly. Moreover, the requestee can choose whether heshe wants to
comply the request or not. This type is implicitly stating the request since the intention is not formulated easily.
The conversation is between Ben and Kiko, a coworker, which takes place in the office. It occurs in the morning when Ben enters the office. He sees Kiko
has problem in delivering the paper. The huge dolly stacks with reams of paper down a row of cubicles. She tries to push the huge dolly in order to move it. This
problem disturbs Ben when he enters the office in the morning. Thus, he comes to help her by pushing the huge dolly. The conversation is expressed in Datum 7.
Ben :
How about I’ll push, you deliver?
Kiko : Thank you.
Datum 7 Ben says
How about I’ll push, you deliver? This type belongs to
conventionally indirect request based on the hearer. It is because Ben indirectly questions Kiko and gives the opportunity to perform the request to Kiko whether
she wants to deliver the paper or not. This request can be categorized into direct
request by saying I help you instead of saying How about I’ll push, you
deliver? It has similar intention between both utterances. Ben intends to help
Kiko by pushing the huge dolly and requests her to deliver the paper. Therefore, she responds it very nice and she also says thank you.
Another example of conventionally indirect request based on the hearer occurs in the conversation between Jules and her coworker, Robby. After having a
meeting with all the coworkers, Jules sees the progress of each coworker. She checks all the things about her business. Then, Jules comes to Robby and asks
about the improvement that he did. Robby shows her work to Jules. Furthermore, she asks him to make the picture more interesting because it is too ordinary for
Jules. The dialogue is presented below. Jules
: Can we make it more graphic?
Robby : editing the photo
Jules : Yeah, that‘s cool. Maybe hero the girl in the red shirt.
Datum 3
By saying Can we make it more graphic?, Jules requests Robby to make
the photo more impressive. The utterance is formulated with a question that implicitly asks Robby to perform the request. It is indicated as a conventionally
indirect request based on the hearer because Jules requests him to carry out the request without asserting him to decide whether he wants to accept or refuse
Jules‘s desire. In fact, Robby has a power to choose whether he will perform or refuse the request which is ordered by Jules. Yet, in the conversation, Robby
accepts the request and performs it for Jules. In order to make the request clearer,
Jules can say Make it more graphic, because she has an authority to make the
coworker obedient with her desires. The next example happens when Ben meets Jules to talk abo
ut Becky‘s help in the
Jules‘s room. Ben tells his idea about helping Becky. Thus, Jules is amazed by
Ben‘s idea. It is because Ben knows about marketing and business that makes Jules interested in him. Jules responds by requesting some better plans
on her business. Ben
: Well, I enlisted Becky‘s help. Seems the most expensive place you‘re advertising is actually bringing you the customers who are
spending the least and the channels you‘re least investing in are adding enormous value in segments that currently appear to have
low value but actually have the highest spending potential. That‘s
what I could tell. So far.
Jules : Whoa. Ben Could you like deal with all that for me? Maybe come up with a better plan? I mean, if you have the time.
Ben : Happy to.
Datum 21
From the conversation in Datum 21, Jules utters Whoa. Ben Could you like deal with all that for me? Maybe come up with a better plan? I mean, if
you have the time. It means that Jules asks him to give some good plans which
can increase the business of her company. Jules‘s utterance is included as
conventionally indirect request based on the hearer. It is shown in Jules‘s utterance that Jules bestows Ben to choose whether he would like to give some
ideas or not. By saying I mean, if you have the time, it shows that Jules does not
force Ben to think about what Jules‘s business needs quickly.
c. Conventionally indirect requests based on the speaker
