| Abstract: | Researchers theorize that modal expressions (e.g., can, may, could, and should) serve politeness functions in discourse, particularly in requests and refusals. This study sought to empirically determine whether requesters perceived refusals containing modal expressions as more polite than their non-modal counterparts. The results showed that refusals containing modal expressions are judged as more polite but they are mixed when examining whether refusals containing modal expressions are perceived as more effective than their non-modal counterparts. The discussion section addresses the implications of these findings for the study and creation of refusal messages. |
