Indirect Language

To be proficient in a language requires more than structural competence and a good vocabulary. English language teaching generally concentrates far too much, in my opinion, on structure, on functional grammar , on referential meaning. One of the most important characteristics of English is its use of implicature. To use the language effectively and to understand the real meaning of a message, we need to be far more aware of pragmatics. We need to learn how to choose a style that is appropriate to the situation. It is more difficult to learn these aspects of language because they overlap with the cultural background from in which the language is embedded. In this respect, English is particularly variable according to the variety you are speaking. British English in general is more indirect than the English spoken in the United States. Speakers of British English prefer indirect forms in order to fulfil a need for politeness, diplomacy or modesty.

Typical situations in which indirect forms are preferred are:

criticising the behaviour of others complaining praising making suggestions self-praise.

Criticising If there is a need to point out faults in someone's work, the direct forms might be: this letter is full of typing errors you're always late for appointments the standard of your work is inconsistent.

It would be more acceptable to both speaker and recipient of the criticism if indirect forms were used:

this letter could have fewer typing errors you're not always on time, are you? your work is not as consistent as it could be.

Typical features of indirect language are use of negatives and understatement.

Exercise

For each of the following examples, try to find a more indirect form of expression:

1 She's ugly. 2 He can't cook. 3 The film was boring. 4 The food was cold. 5 The hotel is dirty. 6 He drives carelessly. 7 She's bad-tempered. 8 I don't like him. 9 She talks too much. 10. Your car's uncomfortable.

Suggested answers:

1 She's not the most attractive woman in the world. 2 Cooking isn't his strongest point. 3 I've seen more interesting films. 4 The food could have been warmer . 5 The hotel isn't as clean as it could be. 6 He could drive more carefully. 7 She could be better tempered. 8 He's not my favourite person. 9 She could be less talkative. 10 I've known more comfortable cars.

If you want to study these aspects of language, then I recommend the book, The Principles of Pragmatics, Geoffrey Leech, Longman 1983. You might also be interested in the Journal of Pragmatics at http://www.elsevier.nl/inca/publications...

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