3. Be pessimistic In using the third strategy, the speaker explicitly doubts conditions for achieving his wants and thus redresses the hearer’s negative Face. Linguistic means employed in this strategy is subjunctive (15), negation (16) or pessimistic hedges:
(15) Could/Would/Might you do X?
(16) I don’t imagine/suppose there’d be any chance/possibility/hope of you ... .
4. Minimize the imposition, Rx We have previously indicated that choice of the output strategy depends on the weightiness of an FTA, three factors that determine the weightiness are social distance between the speaker and addressee, relative power of participants and rank of imposition. The forth strategy aims at minimizing the imposition and thus decrease the weightiness of the FTA. The speaker may achieve this by delimiting a precise extent of the FTA (17) and also make any amount appear as almost insignificant (18).
(17) I just want to ask you if I can borrow a tiny bit of paper.
(18) Just a second. (c.i. a few minutes)
5. Give deference The fifth strategy implies that in order to lower the risk by doing FTA, the speaker should give deference in a way to humble and abase himself, while raise the hearer, or in other words, attempt to enhance the hearer’s positive Face. Comrie (1976) cited in P. Brown and S. Levinson introduces three main types of honorifics that are present in a communicative situation: speaker–addressee, speaker–referent and speaker–bystander. Brown and Levinson also add the category of speaker–setting.
There is a complex system in which honorifics can refer directly to the addressee such as address sir in (19) but also others that provide inferences linked to the hearer indirectly such as in (20).
(19) Excuse me, sir, but would you mind if I close the window?
(20) We look forward very much to dining/eating with you.
6. Apologize When the speaker apologizes for doing an FTA he signals his reluctance to impinge on the hearer’s negative Face. P. Brown and S. Levinson introduce four different ways how to redress the FTA: Admit the impingement (21), Indicate reluctance (22), Give overwhelming reasons (23) and Beg forgiveness (24).
(21) I’m sure you must be very busy, but...
(22) I hate to intrude/impose, but...
(23) I can think of nobody else who could...
(24) I’m sorry to bother you...
