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Method - Apologies

5 important questions on Method - Apologies

Which two ways can the linguistic realization of the act of apologizing take?

an explicit illocutionary force indicating device (IFID), which selects a routinized, formulaic expression of regret. It fulfills the function of signaling regret.
an utterance which contains reference to one or more elements from a closed set of specified propositions the semantic content of which relates directly to the apology preconditions.

Which five strategies does the apology speech act set include?

an IFID
an explanation or account of the cause which brought about the violation
an expression of the speaker's responsibility for the offence
an offer or repair
a promise of forbearance

What is explanation or account?

A common reaction to the need to apologize is a search for self-justification by explaining the source of the offence as caused by external factors over which the speaker has no control.

What is an offer of repair?

In situations where the damage or inconvenience which affected the hearer can be compensated for, the speaker can choose to offer repair in a specified or general manner, intending this as an apology.

What is a promise of forbearance?

In some situations the feeling of responsibility is so strong that the speaker feels the need to promise forbearance. It is usually expressed by a promise that x will never happen again.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Cross-cultural Pragmatics: Requests and apologies

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