Positive Politeness Brown and Levinson Politeness Theory
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Strategy 5. Seek agreement
Another ways to claim a common ground with H are raising the safe topic in order to be agreeing with H opinions; and agreement also stressed with
repetition or repeating what all the preceding speaker said. Isn’t your new car a beautiful color
A: john went to London this weekend B: to London
Strategy 6. Avoid disagreement
In this case, the S must be agree with H in order to main the H’s face. The strategies are token agreement is pretending agree with H; Pseudo-Agreement is
the use of then as a conclusory marker; white lies is where S is confronted with the necessity to state opinion want to lie rather than damage H’s positive face; and
hedging opinions is S may be vague about his opinion in order to not to be seen disagree.
a: can you hear me? b: barely
I’ll meet you in front of the theater just before 8.00, then. Yes, I do like your new hat.
It’s really beautiful, in a way
Strategy 7. Presupposeraiseassert common ground
This strategy have several ways such as gossip or small talk is for softening the request; point of view operations is encoded point of view by mean
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of deixis; time switch is a tense shift from past to present tense; place switch is use proximal here, this, rather than there, that; avoidance of adjustment of
reports to H’s point of view is direct quoted speech is is the very general usage; presupposition manipulations is S presuppose something when he presumes that it
is mutually taken for granted; presuppose knowledge of H’s wants and attitude is with negative question which presume yes answer is indicated that
S know H’s want, taste, habit; presuppose H’s values are the same a S’s value is using of
scalar predicates; presuppose familiarity in S’H relationship the use of familiar address form like honey; presuppose H’s knowledge is the use of in group codes-
language, dialect, jargon, local terminology. Wouldn’t you like a drink?
Harry took me to the movies the other day.
Strategy 8. Joke
S May joke or a joke may minimize an FTA of requesting. Ok if I tackle those cookie?
Strategy 9. Assert or presuppose S’s knowledge of and concern for H’s wants
Put pressure on H to cooperate with S is to assert or imply knowledge of H’s wants and willingness to fit one’s own wants with them.
I know you can’t bear parties, but this one will be really good- do come
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Strategy 10. Offer, promise
To redress the potential of FTAs, S may choose to stress his cooperation with H in another way. He may claim that whatever H wants, S wants for him and
will help to obtain. I’ll drop by sometimes next week.
Strategy 11. Be optimistic
S is assume that his want is H’s want too, and H will help to obtain them. I’ve come to borrow a cup of flour.
Strategy 12. Include both S and H in the activity
Using inclusive form ‗we’ instead of ‗you’ or ‗me’ when S want to doing something.
let’s have a cookie, then. I.e. me give us break i.e. me
Strategy 13. Give or ask reasons
Including H in practical reasoning and assuming reflexivity, H is thereby led to see the reasonableness of S’s FTA.
why not lend me your cottage for the weekend?
Strategy 14. Assume or assert reciprocity
S ask for reciprocal right or obligation to H I’ll do X for you and you help me to do Y.
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Strategy 15. Give gift to H goods, sympathy, understanding, cooperation
S satisfy H’s face by action, not only giving tangible gift, but also sympathy, understanding and so on.