Politeness.
face, in pragmatics, is your public self-image. This is the
emotional and social sense of self that everyone has and expects everyone else to
recognize.
Politeness can be defined as showing awareness and consideration of
another person’s face.
If you say something that represents a threat to another person’s self-image, that is
called a face-threatening act.
Whenever you say something that lessens the possible threat to another’s face, it can
be described as a face-saving act.
Negative face is the need to be independent and free from imposition.
Positive face is the need to be connected, to
belong, to be a member of the group. So, a face-saving act that emphasizes a person’s
negative face will show concern about imposition (I’m sorry to bother you…; I know
you’re busy, but…).