SYNTACTIC MEANS OF POLITENESS CATEGORY REALIZATION

Abstract

The present paper is devoted to the study of syntactic means of politeness category realization, which serve the object of our investigation, in the English language. The purpose of our research was to define and to thoroughly describe the syn­tactic models and structures that are used to express politeness category in speech. The data for the research included 120 speech episodes picked up from the texts of modern English novels. The material selected presents the fictional discourse because it illustrates the most favourable communicative medium with the purpose to expose interpersonal relations and reflects the maximum proximity of reproduced spoken language to real communication. To achieve the purpose of our investigation the following general scientific and linguistic methods were applied: the method of synthesis and analysis; the method of scientific observation; the method of contextual and interpretational analysis. The results of the research conducted are the following ones. Politeness is regarded as the universal communicative category which is characterized by national specific features which, in their turn, are realized by certain strategies and tactics aimed at harmonious and conflict-free communication. Moreover, it serves to decrease threatening nature of some speech acts that can impinge upon the hearer’s face. Such face-threatening acts include requests, orders, advice, invitations, offers and suggestions, etc. That is why in the English communicative culture it is widely accepted to use such syntactic structures and models that minimize the possibility of conflict. Such syntactic structures include indirect questions and subjunctive mood. Indirect questions minimize face threat as they give the possibility to the addressee to respond negatively without doing any harm to his own social image. The subjunctive mood helps the addresser to express his order in a mitigated form, thus, being polite and preserving the further harmonious interaction. In conclusion, it is necessary to emphasize that politeness cate­gory can be realized in speech not only by means of standard clichés, but also by means of different syntactic structures that allow the speaker to remain polite and explicate the respectful attitude to the partner of communication.