People like me and you, Bill, don’t like being pushed around like that, do we?
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to do. Furthermore, in the example above, the persons who will stop for eating are S and H.
m Give or ask for reasons Giving or asking reason in utterance can also be used to minimize the threat
to H‟ positive face. The example of this positive politeness strategy is in the sentence.
S:
I think you’ve had a bit too much to drink, Jim. Why not stay at our
place this evening? The example above contains giving and asking reasons activity. The use of
reasoning can minimize the threat to H‟s positive face. In real world, reason can be an important thing in doing positive politeness. In the conversation above, S
gives reason that H Jim drinks too much on a bar and gets drunks. S uses H‟s
condition as the reason so that H is willing to stay at S‟ house. S knows that H will not be able to walk home because he is too drunk. By using the reasons, S
does not feel forcing H to stay in the place. n Assert reciprocal exchange or tit for tat
Declaring that S will do something in exchange of something S really wants is a good way to do positive politeness. The example of asserting reciprocal
exchange is in the sentence: S: Dad, if you help me with my math homework,
I’ll mow the lawn after school tomorrow.
The example above contains reciprocal obligations. It saves the H‟s positive face. S does something for a reciprocal exchange that H does for S. It
softens the FTA by negating the debt aspect and the face-threatening aspect of
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speech acts such as criticism and complains. The reciprocal obligation in the example above is that S will mow the lawn after school the next day only if H his
dad is helping S with the homework. o Give gifts to H goods, sympathy, understanding, cooperation
Giving gift, goods, sympathy and etc is always a good way to minimize threat to H‟s positive face. The example of giving gift and sympathy can be seen
in the sentence:
S : Have a glass of malt whisky, Dick.
H: Terrific Thanks. S
: Not at all. I wonder if I could confide in you for a minute or two. The example above contains expression of sympathy. S is giving his
sympathy by treating or giving H a glass of malt whisky. The gift to H is one of politeness strategy. It helps S to save the H‟s positive face. The gift here is not
always things because gift can also be in the form of sympathy, understanding and cooperation. In social situation, gift can be represented with cigarette, whisky, or
other alcoholic drinks. S satisfies H‟s positive face by giving gift that H likes before S then telling H what S really wants.