Refusals

Refusals

through the eye of pragmatics

Refusals

Refusals or rejections can mean disapproval of the interlocutor's idea and therefore, a threat to the interlocutor's face, while acceptance or agreement tend to be used in direct language without much delay, mitigation, or explanation, refusals tend to be indirect, include mitigation, and/or delay within the turn or across turns. The delay probably shows that the refuser has a good reason for refusing and may imply that the refuser would accept or agree instead if it were possible or practical.

Refusal is initiated by four types of acts:

• Invitation

• Offer

• Suggestion

• Request

Refusal strategies

• Statement of regret (I'm sorry.../I feel terrible...)

• Wish (I wish I could help you...)

• Excuse, reason, explanation (My children will be home that night./I have a headache)

• Statement of alternative (I'd rather.../I'd prefer.../Why don't you ask someone else?)

• Set condition for future or past acceptance (If you had asked me earlier, I would have...)

Refusal strategies

• Promise of future acceptance (I'll do it next time./I promise I'll.../Next time I'll...)

• Statement of principle (I never do business with friends.)

• Statement of philosophy (One can't be too careful.)

• Threat or statement of negative consequences to the requester (I won't be any fun tonight to refuse an invitation)

• Guilt trip (waitress to customers who want to sit a while: I can't make a living off people who just order coffee.)

Refusal strategies

• Criticise the request/requester (statement of negative feeling or opinion; insult/attack (Who do you think you are?/That's a terrible idea!)

• Request for help, empathy, and assistance by dropping or holding the request

• Let interlocutor off the hook (Don't worry about it./That's okay./You don't have to.) 

• Self-defence (I'm trying my best./I'm doing all I can do.)

• Acceptance that functions as a refusal (Unspecific or indefinite reply; Lack of enthusiasm)

Refusal strategies

• Nonverbal avoidance (silence, hesitation, doing nothing, physical departure)

• Verbal avoidance (topic switch, jokes, repetition of parts of request, postponement)

• Statement of positive opinion/feeling or agreement (That's a good idea.../I'd love to...)

• Statement of empathy (I realise you are in a difficult situation.)

• Pause fillers (uhh/well/oh/uhm)

• Gratitude/appreciation (Thanks for the invitation, but…)

Sequences of refusals

• Pre-refusal strategies: these strategies prepare the addressee for an upcoming refusal

• Main refusal (Head Act): this strategy expresses the main refusal.

• Post-refusal strategies: these strategies follow the head act and tend to emphasise, justify, mitigate, or conclude the refusal response.

Analyse the given conversations by answering the questions:

• What are the types of initiating act that trigger the act of refusals? (e.g. invitation, offer, suggestion, request)

• What kinds of refusal strategies are found in one refusal?

• What are the refusal sequences found in one refusal?

Example:

_{Betty: Daniel, I was wondering, if you had a quick moment.}

_{Daniel: Do I look like I have a quick moment?}

_{Betty: No. So sorry.}

• Initiating act: request (I was wondering...)

• Refusal strategies: Guilt trip (Do I look like I have...)

• Refusal sequence: Head act only (Do I look like I have...)

Open Ended

Daniel: I really want you to come back, be my assistant. I promise you, things will be different.

Betty: I, um. Daniel, I really have to think about that.

Open Ended

Henry: At least let me pay for your pretzel.

Betty: No, I don't want anything from you.

Open Ended

Betty: Um, sorry to interrupt, but can I get you lunch?

Daniel: No, no. But you go ahead, thanks.

Open Ended

Wilhelmina: We'll talk upstairs.

Nico: No! We'll talk now.

Open Ended

Betty: So just apologize.

Daniel: Ah, I can't just apologize. I mean, it's gotta be smarter. You know, skillful.

Open Ended

What is your name and student's number?

Good luck

and may the force be with you