Negative face
A person's desire for autonomy and freedom from imposition. Negative face concerns wanting personal space and control over one's actions.
Real World
A teacher emailing a colleague 'Could you possibly cover my lesson Friday — only if you're free?' uses negative politeness to acknowledge the imposition and preserve the colleague's freedom to refuse.
Exam Focus
Identify the specific negative politeness marker (hedging, questioning, apologising) rather than simply labelling the utterance 'indirect'.
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