Politeness theory is one of the most practically useful frameworks in A-Level English Language — not just for exams, but because it gives you a precise vocabulary for something you intuitively understand: the complicated social dance of not offending people while still communicating what you need.
What Is “Face”?
The concept of “face” comes originally from Erving Goffman, who used it to describe the public self-image that we present and maintain in social interactions. Brown and Levinson developed this into a theory of politeness built around two types of face:
- Positive face: The desire to be liked, approved of, and included — our need to feel that others value us and our desires
- Negative face: The desire for autonomy and freedom from imposition — our need not to be told what to do or have our freedom constrained
Most communicative acts are face-threatening acts (FTAs) — they threaten either the speaker’s or the hearer’s positive or negative face. Politeness strategies are the ways speakers manage or mitigate these threats.
The Four Politeness Strategies
Brown and Levinson identified four strategies for performing FTAs:
- Bald on record: The FTA is performed directly, without mitigation (“Shut the door”). Used when efficiency matters more than politeness, or between intimates where face is not at risk.
- Positive politeness: Strategies that address the hearer’s desire to be liked and included — complimenting them, finding common ground, including them in a group identity (“Let’s just pop in and have a quick look, shall we?”)
- Negative politeness: Strategies that address the hearer’s desire for autonomy — hedging, being indirect, apologising for the imposition (“I’m sorry to bother you, but I wonder if you might possibly be able to…”)
- Off record: The FTA is performed indirectly, so the speaker can deny having made it — hints, implicature, rhetorical questions (“It’s quite cold in here…” to mean “close the window”)
Applying This in Exams
When you encounter spoken data or written interaction in a language exam, ask:
- What face threats are present in this interaction?
- What politeness strategies are the speakers using to manage them?
- Why might one strategy be used rather than another? (Power, distance, size of imposition)
Brown and Levinson propose that the strategy chosen depends on three variables: the relative power of the speakers, their social distance, and the perceived imposition of the FTA. These are worth referencing explicitly in exam responses.
Don’t just identify the strategy — explain why it makes sense in this particular social context. That’s where the marks are.
Politeness theory, discourse analysis, and all the major language frameworks are covered in Thorogood English’s A-Level English Language classes. Join the waiting list for January 2027.
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