This quiz works best with JavaScript enabled. Home > English Grammar > Grammar > Discourse > Pragmatics > Politeness Theory – Quiz 1 🏠 Homepage 📘 Download PDF Books 📕 Premium PDF Books Politeness Theory Quiz 1 (24 MCQs) Quiz Instructions Select an option to see the correct answer instantly. 1. Positive politeness strategy primarily focuses on ..... A) Respecting the hearer's freedom from obligation. B) Ensuring grammatical accuracy in communication. C) Emphasizing solidarity, approval, and shared identity. D) Minimizing interaction to avoid social tension. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) Emphasizing solidarity, approval, and shared identity. 2. Strategies are ranked from least polite to most polite A) Negative face. B) Asking someone to do something. C) Bald-on-Record, Positive Politeness, Negative Politeness, Off-Record Politeness, Don't Do the FTA . D) Power, Distance, and Imposition. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) Bald-on-Record, Positive Politeness, Negative Politeness, Off-Record Politeness, Don't Do the FTA . 3. Face-threatening acts (FTAs) are ..... A) Speech acts that necessarily result in open conflict. B) Utterances that violate grammatical or syntactic rules. C) Acts that potentially damage the speaker's or hearer's face. D) Expressions used only in highly formal communicative settings. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) Acts that potentially damage the speaker's or hearer's face. 4. Positive face, according to Brown and Levinson (1987), is ..... A) The desire to act freely without external constraints. B) The desire to be liked, approved of, and accepted by others. C) The obligation to follow politeness norms in society. D) The authority a speaker holds in a communicative event. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) The desire to be liked, approved of, and accepted by others. 5. What is a 'Face-Threatening Act' (FTA)? A) An act that is always considered rude and impolite. B) An act that uses ungrammatical language. C) An act that always shows positive feelings. D) An act that runs contrary to the face wants of the speaker or hearer. Show Answer Correct Answer: D) An act that runs contrary to the face wants of the speaker or hearer. 6. According to Brown and Levinson's strategies, what does it mean to perform an FTA 'off record'? A) To express an intention indirectly using hints, ambiguity, or vagueness. B) To state one's need as directly as possible. C) To avoid performing the action altogether. D) To compliment the listener before making a request. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) To express an intention indirectly using hints, ambiguity, or vagueness. 7. 'Negative face' refers to the basic need to ..... A) Be accepted and admired by others. B) Feel a sense of belonging to a group. C) Be unimpeded and be autonomous. D) Receive love and attention. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) Be unimpeded and be autonomous. 8. A: "Sorry to bother you, but could you possibly close the window?" B: "Sure." The strategy used by Speaker A is ..... A) Positive Politeness. B) Off-record. C) Bald on-record. D) Negative Politeness. Show Answer Correct Answer: D) Negative Politeness. 9. According to Erving Goffman, face refers to ..... A) A person's physical appearance in social interaction. B) A conversational role assigned by linguistic structure. C) The public self-image claimed during social interaction. D) A culturally fixed rule for polite communication. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) The public self-image claimed during social interaction. 10. Negative face, according to Brown and Levinson (1987), refers to ..... A) The desire to control the actions of others. B) The preference to avoid social interaction entirely. C) The desire for autonomy and freedom from imposition. D) The ability to express personal emotions openly. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) The desire for autonomy and freedom from imposition. 11. A student needs help moving and says to his friend, 'Bring your pickup truck and help me move into the dorm.' This utterance is an example of which strategy? A) Off record. B) Bald on record. C) Negative politeness. D) Positive politeness. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Bald on record. 12. There are 3 main variables in Brown and Levinson's politeness what are they? A) Negative face. B) Asking someone to do something. C) Bald-on-Record, Positive Politeness, Negative Politeness, Off-Record Politeness, Don't Do the FTA . D) Power, Distance, and Imposition. Show Answer Correct Answer: D) Power, Distance, and Imposition. 13. Examples of actions that threaten a person's 'negative face' are A) Negative face. B) Asking someone to do something. C) Bald-on-Record, Positive Politeness, Negative Politeness, Off-Record Politeness, Don't Do the FTA . D) Power, Distance, and Imposition. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Asking someone to do something. 14. Which of the following actions appeals to the listener's 'Positive face'? A) Giving a compliment, such as 'You always look so stylish.'. B) Allowing a colleague to work peacefully without interruption. C) Writing formal language in an essay. D) Telling a man that he looks bad today. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) Giving a compliment, such as 'You always look so stylish.'. 15. A student who wants to ask for help says, 'I'm not sure if you are free this Sunday, but I was hoping to ask for a little help moving.' This phrasing is a key feature of which strategy? A) Bald on record. B) Negative politeness. C) Positive politeness. D) Off record. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Negative politeness. 16. According to politeness theory, what is the best definition of 'FACE'? A) The emotional state expressed during a conversation. B) The physical features of a person's face. C) The speaker's social status. D) A person's public image or sense of self-worth. Show Answer Correct Answer: D) A person's public image or sense of self-worth. 17. If a student posts a photo hoping for compliments but receives a negative comment like 'That doesn't match your pants at all, ' which type of face is being threatened? A) Facework. B) Negative Face. C) Politeness Strategy. D) Positive Face. Show Answer Correct Answer: D) Positive Face. 18. Indra is an introvert. He prefers to send polite and formal text messages rather than make phone calls, because he feels more comfortable communicating in writing. In this situation, another factor that can influence the politeness that Indra experiences is A) Individual difference. B) Asking someone to do something. C) Bald-on-Record, Positive Politeness, Negative Politeness, Off-Record Politeness, Don't Do the FTA . D) Power, Distance, and Imposition. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) Individual difference. 19. Bald on-record strategy involves ..... A) Using indirect language to soften the speaker's intention. B) Avoiding responsibility for the communicative outcome. C) Performing the act directly without mitigating face threat. D) Employing apologies and hedging expressions extensively. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) Performing the act directly without mitigating face threat. 20. Which of the following scenarios is an example of a threat to someone's 'negative face'? A) A neighbor compliments you on your good looks. B) A teacher congratulates a student on their high test score. C) A friend disagrees with your opinion about a movie. D) A boss asks an employee to buy some juice in his working time. Show Answer Correct Answer: D) A boss asks an employee to buy some juice in his working time. 21. Which of the following utterances is a clear example of a 'positive politeness' strategy? A) 'I wonder how I'll move into the new dorm since my dad can't make it.'. B) 'Bring your truck and help me move.'. C) 'I've heard your truck is really powerful. Would you be able to help me move this Saturday?'. D) 'I was wondering if you might possibly be free this Sunday to help me move.'. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) 'I've heard your truck is really powerful. Would you be able to help me move this Saturday?'. 22. The desire to have the freedom to act without being imposed upon (The desire for autonomy) A) Negative face. B) Asking someone to do something. C) Bald-on-Record, Positive Politeness, Negative Politeness, Off-Record Politeness, Don't Do the FTA . D) Power, Distance, and Imposition. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) Negative face. 23. Negative politeness strategy aims to ..... A) Reinforce the speaker's authority over the hearer. B) Minimize imposition on the hearer's personal freedom. C) Make requests sound humorous and entertaining. D) Challenge the hearer's need for social approval. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Minimize imposition on the hearer's personal freedom. 24. An off-record strategy is used when a speaker ..... A) Relies on formal politeness markers and honorifics. B) Leaves the intention implicit for the hearer to infer. C) Issues a direct command without modification. D) Explicitly states responsibility for the request made. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Leaves the intention implicit for the hearer to infer. Related QuizzesDiscourse QuizzesGrammar QuizzesConversation Analysis QuizConversation Skills QuizImplicature Exercises QuizMaxims Of Conversation QuizPoliteness And Face QuizPoliteness Strategies Spoken English QuizPoliteness Strategies QuizPragmatic Inference Quiz 🏠 Back to Homepage 📘 Download PDF Books 📕 Premium PDF Books