Brown & Levinson's Face Theory & Grice's Maxims

B&L Face Theory;

- B&L define 'face' as; “the public self-image that every member wants for himself." This can be divided into to types of face; negative & positive. Negative face is the desire to not have your actions hindered by others, to have personal preserves and basic claim to things. Positive face, however, is the desire to be approved by others. 
- Politeness is formed by the construct of face and social variables such as; power and social attitude. - The ideas of face & politeness connect through the idea created called 'face-threatening acts' or FTA. This occurs when someone threatens the face of the speaker, for example through disagreeing or interrupting. Politeness arises through trying to stop an action either due to a request with negative face or a refusal with positive face. 
- Positive politeness is shown through appreciating the needs of others.

Grice's Maxims;

- The maxim of quantity; where someone tries to be as informative as one possibly can, and gives as much information as is needed, and no more.
- The maxim of quality; where someone tries to be truthful, and does not give information that is false or that is not supported by evidence.
- The maxim of relation; where someone tries to be relevant, and says things that are pertinent to the discussion.
- The maxim of manner; when someone tries to be as clear, as brief, and as orderly as one can in what one says, and where you avoid obscurity and ambiguity.