Topic 12 - Meaning between the lines (Session B) > Politeness and impoliteness > Task F > Our answers

Politeness and impoliteness

Task F – Our answers

Face-threatening Act (FTA)

A Face-threatening Act (FTA) is an act (linguistic or non-linguistic) that threatens someone’s positive or negative face. It may be bald or mitigated, and it may be on record or off record.

Bald

An FTA is bald if it is not accompanied by any mitigation.

On record

An FTA is on record if it makes clear linguistically or contextually who it is aimed at. For example, ‘Get up John’ is a bald on-record FTA and ‘Please could you get up, John’ is also an on-record FTA, but which is mitigated.

Off record

This one is a bit of a cheat on our part, as we haven’t actually used the term in the previous tasks. But you may well come across it in your reading, and it is not too difficult to understand, as it is clearly contrasted with ‘on record’.

If on-record FTAs make explicit who they are directed at, it follows that off record ones do not (and so are not as impolite). Compare ‘You’ve farted’ (bald on record) with ‘There’s an odd smell in here’ or even ‘There must be something wrong with the drains again.’

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