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Part of
Offers and Offer Refusals: A postcolonial pragmatics perspective on World Englishes
Eric A. Anchimbe
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 298] 2018
► pp. 195–248

Chapter 5
Offers, refusals and peer equality

Article outline
  • 5.1Communicative act structure: Preparatory, head and supportive acts
    • 5.1.1Preparatory acts and peer equality
      • a.Greetings
        • i.H-greeting + Familiarisation structure
        • ii.H-greeting + Address form structure
        • iii.H-greeting + Introduction structure
      • b.Familiarisation
        • i.Small talk
      • c.Introduction
    • 5.1.2Head acts (types) and peer equality
      • a.Simple head acts: Simple offer head act = Simple refusal head act
      • b.Mixed head acts: Simple offer head act = Complex refusal head act and vice versa
        • i.Simple offer head act = Refusal + Thanks
        • ii.Simple offer head act = Interjection + Thanks + Refusal +/ Reason
        • iii.Simple offer head act = Thanks + Reason
      • c.Complex head acts: Complex offer head act = Complex refusal head act
        • i.H-greeting + PM + Offer = Refusal +/ Thanks (+ Reason)
        • ii.Attention getter (+ Address) + Offer = Thanks +/ Interjection + Address/Refusal (+ Reason)
    • 5.1.3Supportive acts and peer equality
      • a.Insistence act: Offer and offer refusal insistence
      • b.Explication act: Refusal questioning and refusal explication
      • c.Alternative offer act: Offering something else
      • d.Deferral act: Offer remains open
      • e.Refusal acceptance act: Letting offeree off the hook
      • f.Offer acceptance act: I accept it, thanks
  • 5.2Offer utterances: Realisation strategies and pragmatic functions
    • 5.2.1Imperative strategy in offer utterances
      • a.Offeree imperative or action
      • b.State offerer permission
      • c.Offer deictic
      • d.State offeree invitation
    • 5.2.2Preference strategy in offer utterances
      • a.Question offeree preference
      • b.Question offeree interest
      • c.Question offeree (future) action
      • d.Question offeree need
    • 5.2.3Declarative strategy in offer utterances
      • a.State offeree invitation (passive)
      • b.State offerer progressive action
      • c.State offered item
      • d.State offerer possession
    • 5.2.3Execution strategy in offer utterances
      • a.Question offeree ability
      • b.Question offerer ability
      • c.State offerer desire
      • d.Offerer-offeree (future) action
  • 5.3Offer refusal utterances: Realisation strategies and pragmatic functions
    • 5.3.1Direct refusal strategy in offer refusal utterances
    • 5.3.2Impediment strategy in offer refusal utterances
    • 5.3.3Assurance strategy in offer refusal utterances
  • 5.4Peer equality in offers and offer refusals: Postcolonial pragmatic components
    • 5.4.1Address forms
      • a.Camaraderie and friendship terms
      • b.Names: First name and surname
      • c.Endearment terms
      • d.Kinship terms
      • e.Attention getters
      • f.Honorifics
    • 5.4.2Religion
    • 5.4.3Collectivist cultures and in-group bonding
    • 5.4.4Peer equality and imposition
    • 5.4.5Societal ills and suspicion
    • 5.4.6Gender
  • 5.5Summary: Peer equality between Ghana and Cameroon
  • Notes