Analysis On English Apologies From The Perspective Of Speech Act Theory

The Speech Act Theory is one of the most important theories in pragmatics study. This thesis applies speech act theory as well as Face Theory to carry on more detailed and thorough pragmatic analysis on English apologies. Apology, as a kind of polite speech act, is mainly applied to make up the consequence brought about by the speaker's offense, defending or showing respect to the interrelations or positive face of both sides. As to the expressing methods of apologizing, besides the most common explicit apology expression, there are various supplemented apology strategies and sometimes brief and non-verbal apologies. Furthermore, apologies can be intensified or downgraded. Intensified and downgraded expressions of apology are also clarified in the thesis.This thesis also relates the Speech Act Theory to Cooperation Principle and Politeness Principle, inducing several categories of apologies for violating the Cooperation Principle and Politeness Principle, such as violating the quality maxim, the quantity maxim, the manner maxim and so on.How does the speaker choose the method to express apology? How does the hearer respond to the speaker's apology? These aspects are restricted by the context in which the degree of the seriousness of the offense is the most important and determining factor. In addition, there are also some factors like social distance, power, sex of the participants and so on. These factors restrict mutually, combine with each other, and facilitate both sides to complete smoothly the speech act of apology.