Semantics :

The conversation at hand fits within an interpersonal , day to day context .

Eva and Eran are coming together to speak about some of their behavior orientations with their
bosses

A key point of Their attitudes towards their bosses lies in the degree of permissiveness and
tolerance

While Eva puts up with her bosses involvement with her private life , Eran is insisting on sorting
out her personal life from her professional undertaking .

Several semantic parameters are at stake in this exchange . a set of vocabulary items are used
associatively rather than conceptually

The expression : on call is not used on it’s literal sense but it has got idiomatic overtones .

Being on call purports being an active asset holder in a particular business or professional
undertaking , similarly the idiom : I’ve got a lot on my plate has got extra linguistics denotations
, in the context of the conversation this idiomatic expression is meant to show case the speakers
being overwhelmed with a to do list of tasks

The phrasal verb slack off is also used associatively to convey the idea that the speaker is getting
less and less involved with professional responsibility

In an akin fashion, the phrasal verb keep up evokes maintain the rhythm without lagging
behind

We have the idiom to draw the line is used to insinuate the absolute necessity to set clear-cut
boundaries between personal life and professional commitment

The analysis : Pragmatics

1- Contextualize the data: This conversation fits within an international business context.
Nick Philips, international Marketing manager at a hi-tech company, is having a
conversation with Ricky Jones, from Midwest Soft. The phone call mills around it,
centered about a delivery complaint, causing a shipment delay that has drastic
repercussions.
This phone encharge involves the use of various pragmatic characters, namely speech acts
, face-related aspects, along with a set of presuppositions

At the outset of the conversation, locutionary acts of greeting, responding to the greeting,
are used to initiate the Kerenel of the matter

Presuppotely, there is an established connection between the two interlocutors which is

Nick uses positive politeness an attempt to give face to Ricky Jones: Hi Ricky, how are
you?

Ricky responds in a face-threatening mode: Nick, I’m afraid I have a real problem with your
company at the moment.

Nick uses empathic, face-giving language to visualize how critically the situation is, which
we infer from the locutionary act

Right I see

The us vs them adversary relationship is a set through the use of deictic language we vs you

We are furious with you. The usage of the plural pronoun we vs you is deictically meant to
make Nick understand that the institutional benefits of Midwest soft are at stake . Ricky
Jones uses assertive speech acts to shed lighton the drastic aftermath of the 15-day late
delivery

This is evident in the use of the following locution it cost us a lot of money ; we’ve lost
clients and we have seriously damaged our reputation

Ricky Jones goes on to reiterate the core of the issue by using face-threatening locution :
shipement was due on Friday that was … the 10th it never turned up until the 25th

In a further attempt to save face , Nick Philips totally empathises with Rick by Jones : Well
I can see …

To reduce tension , Nick resorts to conforming the dimensions of the issue through the use
of the following locutions : look let me make a note of this . The shipment due September
10th Didn’t arrive till September the 25th which is basically a face -threatening , orderly
speech acts when he calls for on-the-spot remedial actions : write it all down and ..it .
Ricky Jones enact deeds rather than words because apparently Ricky belives that actions
speak louder than words In more Face giving speech act Nick Philip assert being in the
picture : under stand fully the problem So the problem is wish late delivery right ?

Ricky Jones faithful to his facethreatening tone reacts as follows : that is what I said Nick
Phillips keeps using face-giving language by apologizing on the on the one hand and
reversing the discourse tone from the negative to the positive : the upgrade works ok ?

However Ricky Jones uses more face-threathing speech acts , namely, expect that it wasn’t
here when we needed it . Nick Phillips persists is perusing face-giving techniques and
strategies where by he puts forth a set of practical problems solving alternatives .

By the end of the phone call . Ricky Jones uses for the first time ever positive politeness
strategies : that’s a good start . the phone call ends with the prevalence of face-giving
strategies both sides where by the interlocuters agree to meet up the following day Interms
of Crice Maxims implementation , it seems that the maxim of quantity is strictly abjded by
?? giving that both interloctors sun rambling they say just enough . Relevance- wise Nick
Phillips and Ricky Jones stay on tracky the issues ; the whole speech acts pertain directly
to the crun of the matter with an explicit visible level of implicature, nevertheless, the
manner and quality of address is antagonistic paradigmatic. While Nick Philips keeps an
eye on both parameters, Ride Jones is invariably rude and inconsiderate

Only by the close of the phone call does Ricky Jones espouse a friendly, non-threatening
mode of communication, opening the door for a possible pro active follow-up.