Politeness theory, developed by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson, is a key aspect of pragmatics that explores how individuals strive for politeness in communication to maintain social harmony. The theory distinguishes between two types of 'face': positive face, the desire to be liked, and negative face, the desire for autonomy, with strategies like positive politeness and negative politeness reflecting these needs. The document outlines various face-threatening acts and four main politeness strategies used in social interactions to ensure respectful communication.

1. POLITENESS THEORY IN
PRAGMATICS
PRESENTED BY: TOOBA RASHID
HS2201
BS7 ENGLISH
ASSIGNED BY: SIR SARFARAZ
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LAGUAGES (HYD)

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3. Politeness Theory
• Politeness theory is an important branch of pragmatics developed by Penelope
Brown and Stephen Levinson in the 1970s
• The idea was taken by Erving Goffman’s concept of “Face Theory”.
• This theory talks about that we all have universal desire to be treated with
politeness.
• This theory questions how and why we are “POLITE” to others.

4. GOFFMAN’S CONCEPT OF FACE:
• Goffman (1955) defines face in the concept of face
theory as "The positive public image [we] seek to
establish in social interactions." It's also helpful to
think of face as 'self-image'. Naturally, most of us want
to protect our self-image and wish to portray a positive
image of ourselves to others.

5. Brown and Levinson's politeness
theory:
• Politeness theory works on the assumption that we have two different types of 'face':
Positive face and Negative face.
1. Positive face is an individual's desire to be liked and
appreciated by others. Think of this as a person's self-
esteem.
2. Negative face is an individual's desire to protect their
personal rights, such as their freedom of speech and
action.

6. Negative face/ negative politeness:
Negative politeness is like being super careful not to step on someone's toes or invade
their personal space. It's about showing respect for someone's autonomy and freedom.
So, when we use negative politeness, we're basically saying, "I'll give you all the space
you need, and I won't impose on you or make you feel uncomfortable." It's all about
being considerate and not making others feel like their rights or boundaries are being
ignored.
EXAMPLE: "I know it's a real pain, and I hope you don't mind, but could you
please print these off for me?"

7. Positive face/positive politeness
When appealing to someone's positive face, we aim to boost their self-
esteem and foster positive feelings about themselves. This can involve
giving compliments, expressing admiration for their achievements, and
agreeing with their opinions or ideas. By affirming their worth and
validating their identity, we enhance their sense of being liked and
accepted by others. This approach avoids criticism, insults, or
disagreement, prioritizing harmony and maintaining a positive social
image.
EXAMPLE: you looking good today!
This piece of work is really fantastic. Well done!

8. What are face-threatening acts? Face-
threatening acts are actions or behaviors that risk damaging
someone's self-image or social standing, like criticism,
disagreement, or refusal, potentially leading to embarrassment or
loss of face.
Face-threatening acts can be verbal (using words or language), paraverbal
(conveyed in the characteristics of speech such as tone or inflexion), or
non-verbal (facial expressions or body language).
According to Brown and Levinson, face-threatening acts may threaten
either the speaker's or the listener's face (either positive or negative).

9. Positive face-threatening acts damaging
to the listener:
Face-threatening acts can also be expressions that show that the
speaker does not care about the listener's positive face, for
example mentioning taboo or emotional topics, interruptions, and
expressions of violent emotions.
EXAMPLE: I don't like that outfit at all.“
I'm definitely better at maths than you.

10. Positive face-threatening acts are
damaging to the speaker:
Acts that threaten the speaker's positive face and self-image
include apologies (an acceptance of being wrong), confessions,
and a loss of emotional control..

11. Negative face-threatening acts are
damaging to the listener
Negative face-threatening acts are actions or behaviors that can
make the listener feel like their personal space or freedom is
being intruded upon, causing discomfort or unease.
Alternatively, face-threatening acts can involve the speaker expressing a
strong emotion towards the listener that typically requires some form of
positive reaction.
For example, paying a compliment and expecting a compliment in return.

12. Negative face-threatening acts damaging
to the speaker
Acts that threaten the speaker's negative face and impede on their
personal freedoms include speech acts they feel obliged to
perform, such as apologies, excuses, acceptance of compliments
or gratitude.
EXAMPLE: "Thanks, I like your outfit too."

13. Politeness Theory, developed by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson, outlines strategies
people use to maintain social harmony and show respect in communication. Here are the four
main strategies in simple terms:
1. Bald on Record: This strategy is direct and clear, without any effort to minimize
the impact on the listener. It's used when there is no risk of offending the person, such as
giving instructions or in emergencies.
2. Positive Politeness: This strategy aims to make the other person feel good about
themselves and valued. It's often used among friends and includes compliments or
friendly language.
4 strategies of Politeness Theory:

14. 3. Negative Politeness: This strategy shows respect for the other person’s
need not to be imposed upon. It's more indirect and often includes apologies or hedges.
4. Off-Record (Indirect): This strategy is very indirect, leaving room for the
listener to interpret the meaning. It’s often used to avoid direct confrontation or when the
speaker wants to be very polite.
These strategies help people navigate social interactions smoothly and respectfully.
4 strategies of Politeness Theory:

15. CONCLUSION:
Politeness theory in pragmatics is like a guidebook for how we're nice to
each other when we communicate. It's all about the ways we use language
to show consideration and respect for others, like saying "please" and
"thank you" or being careful with our words to avoid hurting someone's
feelings. It helps us understand why we might choose one way of saying
something over another, depending on the situation and the people
involved. So, basically, it's about being kind and respectful in how we talk
to each other.