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Other syntactic features of politeness

423c

In many of the examples in sections 413–421, speakers make their speech acts

more polite by using a variety of prefaces and other devices. Speech acts such as

questions, requests, invitations, suggestions, can be softened or made more polite

by using reporting structures:

Hope, think, wonder, to soften questions

Reporting structures with hope, think and wonder are commonly used to soften

questions and requests:

I was hoping I could speak to Roger.

(this seems to be a way of enquiring if Roger is in)

[Michael is a small child]

A: Deana, do you think you could watch Michael please? 

B: Yes.

(compare: Deana, could you …?)

I’m wondering if either of them are here.

(the speaker is asking: Are either of them here?)