Topic 12 - Meaning between the lines (Session B) > Politeness and impoliteness > Task C > Answers

Politeness and impoliteness

Task C - Threatening someone’s face

We threaten someone’s positive face by saying critical or unpleasant things about that person, or things closely associated with him/her (e.g. ‘You plonker!’, ‘What a stupid question!’). Threatening someone’s positive face is usually impolite socially (but not always), and will often need to be mitigated if social harmony is to be preserved.

We threaten someone’s negative face by impeding their attempt to achieve their goals (e.g. being late for a meeting, destroying someone’s essay notes, using someone else’s food/drink/clothes etc without asking for permission). Threatening someone’s negative face is often impolite socially (but not always), and will often need to be mitigated or atoned for (e.g. by apologising, explaining and buying a replacement) if social harmony is to be preserved.

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